Prime Minister addresses Champions League ticket prices as Aston Villa double down on decision
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he understands the concerns of supporters who were left alarmed and angered by Aston Villa's decision to charge high prices for their forthcoming home matches in the Champions League. However, he insists it is ultimately for the clubs themselves to decide on how much fans ought to be paying.
Labour leader Starmer - himself a fan of Champions League club Arsenal - pointed out that football's new independent regulator, to be appointed once the Football Governance Bill is made law by Parliament, will ensure financial sustainability of clubs and so protect their futures.
For Villa, who have released their ticket details for the home game with Bologna and revealed the same pricing strategy which outraged many for the Bayern Munich game next week, sustaining the club under NSWE isn't an issue - although PSR has certainly been, and increasing revenue from ticket sale is one way of increasing the club's revenue streams which they'll need in order to compete with the best.
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Starmer congratulated Villa for finishing in the top four last year under Unai Emery, but also recognised the rise in costs and the detrimental effect it was having on supporters who simply cannot afford to attend game in the current climate.
"Firstly, well done Aston Villa," Starmer told Politics Midlands. "It came at a heavy price as an Arsenal fan, because they beat us and it was among the reasons we didn't win the title last year. The question of cost is of course not something the Regulator will deal with - that'll deal with the overarching framework, but I do understand the concerns.
"It's for the club to determine the prices, Aston Villa or any club, but I do understand that the prices are going up and up and up and that's having a real impact on fans who want to go to the games."
The irony of Starmer's comments will not be lost on Villa fans when he is currently embroiled in a row over accepting free hospitality to watch Arsenal game at the Emirates, although he insists it is a security issue preventing him from watching from the stands, where he has been a season ticket holder.