Aston Villa: We Need to Increase Matchday Revenue

Aston Villa has defended its pricing for Champions League tickets after the general public tickets for the club’s home opener against Bayern Munich sold out. Villa Park will host the European football competition for the first time in 42 years on October 2nd, welcoming six-time winners Bayern Munich.

Ticket prices for adult season ticket holders start at £70 and rise to £82, while non-season ticket holders will need to pay between £85 and £97 to attend. Villa previously explained that the price increase is due to the club’s need to avoid breaches of the profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), with increasing matchday revenue seen as a key solution, a stance reiterated on Monday.

Chris Heck, Villa’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We understand the deep passion of the fans and their recent frustration over ticket pricing. Achieving our sporting ambitions while complying with financial stability regulations requires difficult decisions. Financial Fair Play rules prohibit owners from covering deficits to fund this ambition, so we need to generate as much revenue as possible through sponsorship, merchandise, and ticket sales to ensure we can keep the club where it rightfully belongs – competing (and winning) at the top of English and European football.”

He added: “We want to thank our fans for their patience and loyal support as we work hard to grow the club as a business, ensuring we all play our part in supporting our players on and off the pitch.”

Last week, the club faced criticism from fans after rejecting a request from the Fan Advisory Board to set a price cap for season ticket holders. The board stated: “Loyal Villa fans who have waited up to 40 years to celebrate this important season are being punished and exploited.”

The Fan Trust expressed concern that the club could alienate fans with these prices and urged the club to reconsider ahead of the home match against Bayern Munich in October.

Villa will play four home matches in the 36-team league stage of the competition this season, starting with Bayern, followed by Bologna on October 22nd, Juventus on November 27th, and Celtic on January 29th.