Liverpool CEO Peter Moore has told the Liverpool Echo the club have taken complaints about the problems fans have faced in attending the Champions League final against Real Madrid to the “highest levels” of UEFA.
Supporters have had major difficulties finding reasonably-priced transport and accommodation for the final in Kiev, with the clubs being allocated 16,626 tickets in a stadium with a 63,000 capacity.
Moore said the Ukrainian capital did not have the infrastructure to host the final of Europe’s premier club competition.
“To call it a challenging location would be an understatement, and I’ve had discussions all the way to the top of UEFA about it,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful city, but is it capable and fit for purpose when it comes to hosting a Champions League final? We think the answer is no.
“That’s through no fault of their own — they just don’t have the airport infrastructure and the hotel capacity to cope with an event of this size, and there isn’t another major city within real hitting distance of it.
“It’s not only affected Liverpool fans but Real Madrid fans too. There will be lessons learned from this. Rest assured, I’ve raised this at the highest levels of UEFA.”
Moore said Liverpool fans had experienced “extreme difficulties in terms of flights and accommodation” and added that their situation had been “expensive and frustrating in terms of the lack of direct routes there.”
He added: “I’m sure we’ll read some great stories about fans who have travelled across Europe to get there. Liverpool fans always find a way, but it shouldn’t have been this difficult for them.”
Tickets for Liverpool’s first Champions League since 2007 are much sought after, with some reportedly changing hands for thousands of pounds.
The club have been working with private investigators, who specialise in ticket touting, to combat the problem of tickets being re-sold at vastly-inflated prices.
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