Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly angry with Arsenal after the allocation of tickets for their travelling supporters was reduced following a directive from local police. The Ligue 1 champions are ready to visit the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash.
Both the teams previously faced off in the group stage at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal secured a convincing 2-0 victory on that occassion. PSG will now return to north London with revenge on their minds. They are all set to turn the tide as they aim to reach their first Champions League after long.
However, PSG will have lesser supporters in attendance than usual for their upcoming clash with Mikel Arteta’s side. During the group stage meeting in early October, the French club had been allocated 3,000 tickets. But that number has now been even lesser for the semi-final encounter.
That original allocation of 3,000 tickets accounted for five percent of the Emirates Stadium’s capacity, in line with UEFA regulations. However, a decision has since been there to reduce PSG’s ticket allocation to 2,500 for this week’s semi-final clash. Thus, prompting frustration from the French club.
Did PSG succeed with their complaint to UEFA?
According to RMC Sport, PSG’s formal complaint to UEFA regarding the reduced ticket allocation has been unsuccessful. The number remains to be at a fixed amount of 2,500. The French club’s leadership is quite unhappy with how the situation unfolded, especially in terms of timing. Arsenal had originally explored the possibility of allocating the full 3,000 tickets to away supporters, but that plan was ultimately altered following intervention from the Metropolitan Police.
A meeting held last Thursday failed to resolve the dispute. Thus, leaving PSG frustrated and unclear about the reason behind the reduction in their ticket allocation. The lack of transparency has added to the tension, and there are already signs of friction generating ahead of next week’s return leg in Paris. Thus, further straining relations between the two clubs.
Meanwhile, Arsenal stated that they will receive just 2,000 tickets for the second leg at the Parc des Princes. This is an allocation that also falls short of UEFA’s standard five percent requirement. However, PSG received special priviliges before the start of the season to reduce away allocations to 4.1 percent. Hence, following a formal request from local authorities. The decision definitely added another layer of tension between the clubs ahead of the high-stakes semi-final clash.
Arsenal fans urging the club to make a complaint to UEFA
The Premier League club are now facing growing pressure to lodge an official complaint with UEFA over the reduced ticket allocation for the second leg in Paris. The Arsenal Supporters Trust has been voicing its frustration at the limited number of tickets. Thus, calling on the club to take formal action. The group has been expressing anger over the disparity and believes Arsenal should challenge the decision on behalf of the travelling fans.
The Arsenal Supporters Trust has been gaining support from both Liverpool’s Spirit of Shankly group and the Aston Villa Supporters Trust. They have echoed their concerns over limited away allocations. Both Liverpool and Villa received similarly reduced ticket numbers for their respective knockout matches at the French stadium earlier in the competition. Thus, adding weight to the growing calls for UEFA to address the issue.
In any case both the teams will definitely deliver in this highly anticipated match and these tensions will become a driving force for both the teams to come on top of each other.
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