Villa Criticized as 'Out of Touch' Over Champions League Ticket Prices

On Wednesday, Aston Villa announced that adult tickets for their four home matches in the new 36-team Champions League format will be priced at £85, £94, and £97. Season ticket holders will receive discounted rates of £70, £79, and £82.

Villa are set to host Bayern Munich, Bologna, Juventus, and Celtic at Villa Park as they return to Europe’s top competition for the first time in 41 years.

The Aston Villa Supporters' Trust (AVST) revealed that it met with the club toward the end of last season to discuss potential Champions League ticket prices. AVST had urged the club to ensure that pricing would not exceed that of a Category A Premier League game, which it did after finishing fourth in the Premier League.

For the 2024-25 season, Villa’s top Category A ticket price for league matches is £92, with the cheapest in that tier being £55. In comparison, the lowest-priced Champions League ticket for non-season ticket holders will be £85—a 55% increase.

"For the club to announce Champions League ticket prices well above this season’s Category A is extremely disappointing," AVST stated. The Football Supporters' Association also weighed in, calling Villa’s pricing "truly eye-watering."

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Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City are the other Premier League sides competing in the Champions League this season, with their home ticket prices significantly lower in comparison to Aston Villa’s. Liverpool’s adult home tickets range from £30 to £61, Manchester City’s from £37.50 to £62.50, and Arsenal’s from £74.30 to £106.80. However, Arsenal includes Champions League home tickets in their season ticket prices, whereas Villa’s range is between £70 and £97.

Uefa has capped away ticket prices for Champions League matches at 60 euros (£50.55), making Villa's pricing stand out even more. The Aston Villa Supporters' Trust (AVST) expressed their disappointment, stating, "When compared to other English clubs in the Champions League this year, and indeed Uefa's own away ticket price cap, today's announcement is out of touch."

The AVST further criticized the pricing, saying, "Loyal Villa fans who’ve waited up to 40 years for this momentous season are being punished and exploited," and warned that the club risks alienating fans if it doesn’t reconsider.

Villa's Champions League journey begins away at Young Boys on 17 September, with their first home game against Bayern Munich, who they famously defeated in the 1982 European Cup final, scheduled for 2 October.

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