The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) is deeply concerned with the club’s handling of ticket sales for upcoming UEFA Champions League fixtures. Recent decisions have been marked by poor communication, unjustifiable price increases, and a disregard for supporters.
The message is clear – stop exploiting our loyalty.
Poor Communication
The announcement of individual ticket sales and pricing for the Benfica match came less than 24 hours before sales began. This short notice once again highlights the club’s failure to respect the realities of life for ordinary supporters, many of whom make significant personal and financial sacrifices to attend matches.
Unjustified Price Increases
By placing the Benfica match in the AA pricing category, tickets will see a 77.5% increase for a league stage match compared to many tickets for last season’s Conference League semi-final. While the Champions League is undoubtedly a more prestigious competition than the Conference League, these sharp increases are neither justified nor sustainable.
As a result, we can reasonably assume that the club will place all knockout matches in the same AA category, regardless of opposition. This approach undermines the credibility of the category pricing system.
Removal of Concession Pricing
The AA category designation for the Champions League also removes concessions for seniors, under-20s, and under-23s in many parts of the ground – something that was never widely communicated before pricing for this match was released. This contradicts the club’s previously stated commitment to ensuring accessibility for supporters, and especially to encouraging the next generation of fans attending matches.
Wider Concerns
The lack of transparency around pricing, the rushed sales process, and the disregard for concessions paint a troubling picture of the club’s priorities. While the CST recognises that matchday revenue is reinvested into the club, we reject the idea that the revenue is coming from the right places and that it is being spent wisely – especially when it is at the expense of supporters attending matches. Looking at the latest financial records released by Chelsea from 2023/24, matchday revenue accounted for 17% of all revenue. These increases have an outsized impact on supporters and matchday atmosphere, and a minimal impact on the club, especially when taking into account that commercial revenue has not been maximised.
Decisions like these risk further alienating loyal supporters and threaten the matchday atmosphere that makes Stamford Bridge unique.
Our Call to Action
The Chelsea Supporters Trust calls on Chelsea FC to:
- Immediately review its Champions League ticket pricing strategy.
- Reinstate concession pricing across the ground for all Champions League fixtures sold on a match by match basis.
- Communicate ticket sales timelines and structures with sufficient notice and transparency.
Without urgent change, the club risks further undermining its relationship with the very supporters who are the lifeblood of Chelsea Football Club.
