English fans have been left furious after the first sales ballot of Euro 2024 which saw several supporters lose out on tickets due to bots.
Over 1.2 million tickets were on offer for the tournament, which is due to take place in Germany - but there have been suggestions that 'bots' rigged the ballot.
Social media was rife with disappointed fans who had requested several tickets for the competition, but were left empty handed. While many will be concerned that tickets will end up on resale sites at a hugely inflated price.
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According to the i paper, Uefa were able to identify a 'large number of bots who were aiming to request tickets, and whose requests were removed from the ballot'
The report adds that that 20 million genuine requests were made which has led to low numbers of successful applicants.
Three Lions fan Emma told the i that she requested tickets worth a whopping €11,000 (£9,500) with the knowledge that they would be popular. And although she was initially concerned that she would be left with a hefty bill if the ballot went in her favour, she didn’t land a single ticket.
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“I’m just annoyed really – it took a lot of time to do the application and work it out,” Emma explained. “And then to see how many have been unsuccessful – and maybe that bots or scalps got in to take them from fans.
“I also was opted in to be liable for tickets in category one (the most expensive) for nearly all my applications. And still nothing across all group stages and knockout games.”
Another fan who lost out, Shanine, told the I: “Football fans are being priced out.
“The ticket prices were reasonable and we would have faced expensive hotels and travel and now we almost certainly face touts. At a time where football is trying to welcome more female fans it feels like a slap in the face.”
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Indeed, fans' fears appear to be coming true, with tickets appearing on resale sites already, with prices said to be starting at £645.
While another resale website raised further suspicions when it claimed to have 133 tickets available for the second match of the tournament, starting at £338 plus booking fees.
Topics: England, Euro 2024, Football, Fan Reactions
Joe Adams