Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino back fans after Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea complain about Champions League/Europa League final tickets

Liverpool‘s Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino have sided with fans in the debate over tickets for their upcoming Champions League final.

The managers also sympathised with Chelsea and Arsenal’s frustrations ahead of their Europa League final – as for the first time in history the continent’s two showpiece events will be occupied solely by English clubs.

Jurgen Klopp’s men came from 3-0 down to beat Barcelona 4-3 and reach the final

Liverpool and Tottenham have been allocated just 16,613 tickets each for their game at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on June 1, while Chelsea and Arsenal will only get around 6,000 each for their match at Baku’s Olympic Stadium.

Both grounds have capacities of 68,000+.

Travel and hotel costs for both games have also rocketed, causing uproar among some supporters and now provoking a response from the teams’ bosses.

“Travel agencies and hotels are not silly,” admitted Klopp.

The Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid will host the Champions League final

“It is difficult. I think with Madrid, it is unbelievably expensive, at least it is not another part of the world.

“Going to Baku for a Europa League final, that’s really funny.

“Last year we went to Kiev [for the Champions League final], which is a wonderful city but that a Russian team or a team from that part of the world will be involved is not really likely.

“Madrid has to prepare for 200,000 English fans.

“Baku I have no clue how to get there if there is a direct flight at all.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team recovered from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and progress to the final on away goals

“These decisions, they must be much more sensible. It just looks irresponsible.

“Maybe, in the cities who get the final, maybe they have to make a price cut? I heard a room that is normally £100 is now £2,700? Just crazy! I sympathise a lot.

“Madrid is unbelievably expensive but who decides Baku for a European final? Or Kiev? I don’t know what the people who decide these things have for breakfast.”

Pochettino added: “We started to talk with the club today [Friday] to organise and see how it is going to work,” he said.

Arsenal and Chelsea face a 2,850-mile trek to Azerbejian

“Yesterday I was calling some hotels to try and book some rooms because I don’t know if my family and some people from Argentina are going to be there.

“I wanted to book and it was so difficult and the prices are so crazy. I am very surprised but it is normal that people take advantage of this type of opportunity to make benefit. It is going to be very, very difficult.”

“I am very surprised because it is normal, it is not normal, but it is normal that people take advantage of this type of opportunity to make benefit.

“I am suffering for both clubs and both fans, Liverpool fans because it is going to be so, so, so difficult to get the chance to arrive there, not only to find the ticket, if not to find a way to arrive to be there. It is going to be very, very difficult.”

UEFA have responded to the criticism with a statement which read: “Based on UEFA’s recent experience with UEFA Europa League finals and the UEFA Super Cup in comparable venues the number of finalists’ supporters requesting tickets for a UEFA Europa League final can vary greatly from club to club. Of course, it is impossible to predict in advance which clubs will reach the final while the venue has to be chosen around two years in advance.

“Taking into consideration the above and most importantly the geographical location and logistical capacity of airports in and around the host city, it was deemed that around 15’000 spectators would be able to travel from abroad (this includes finalists’ fans and general public), with Baku as the main hub. Offering more tickets to fans of the participating teams, without any guarantee that they would be able to arrange suitable travel to reach Baku, was therefore not a responsible option.

“Based on these circumstances, for this year’s UEFA Europa League final in Baku, 6,000 tickets have been made available to each of the finalists. UEFA remains in close contact with the finalists regarding the travel arrangements of their supporters and any other operational aspects with regards to the final.”

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