Champions League final tickets: UEFA to give away 10,000 tickets for free

UEFA will offer 10,000 free tickets to fans of clubs that reach this season’s Champions League final.

Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, has said the move is “to reward them for their support for European football during the COVID crisis”.

The governing body will distribute 30,000 free tickets across their club competitions, alongside the 10,000 for the Champions League. They will hand out a further 8,000 tickets for the Europa League final (8,000 tickets) and free tickets to the Europa Conference League final (6,000 tickets), and Women’s Champions League final (6,000 tickets).

UEFA will cover the cost of the tickets, ensuring clubs receive the same receipt, and want teams to reward “their most loyal fans”.

The tickets cannot be given to sponsors, partners, or club officials.

They have also announced that the prices of the two cheapest ticket bands have been frozen for the next three seasons amid the cost of living crisis currently taking place.

Ceferin said in a statement: “Football fans are the lifeblood of the game, and we thought it would be a nice way to recognise the difficulties they have experienced over the last two years and how they nevertheless still managed to support their teams and live their passion even when away from the stadiums.

“Fans are playing an integral part in the development of football, and we must ensure that loyal travelling supporters can attend historical moments for their cherished teams at affordable prices.”

UEFA has previously been criticised for the perceived inaccessibility of European showpieces. This came to a head in 2018 and 2019, when the organisation’s decision to host finals in Kyiv and Baku led to complaints from Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea fan groups.

The 2021-22 Champions League final is set to be hosted at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg.

(Photo: Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)