Bayern Munich supporters look for refund after paying double in Salzburg

After traveling to Salzburg for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, Bayern Munich fans are complaining about tickets being two high and are taking action. Some fans may be thinking that these Bayern fans have no leg to stand on, but UEFA has regulations in place that prohibit prices being higher for away fans than what the home fans have paid for a comparable seat.

German outlet kicker reports that Club Nr. 12 — a very active supporters group of FC Bayern — is claiming that the tickets were double what the Salzburg home fans paid. In a statement from the supporters group, Club Nr. 12 is calling on UEFA to require that Red Bull refunds the price of the tickets to those who paid to high.

In a statement from RB Salzburg, we learn that UEFA has in fact been in contact with Salzburg regarding this matter. However, in a turn of events, Salzburg claims that Bayern officials conspired with Salzburg when setting prices for both matches. The agreement was that Salzburg would charge €60.00 for the lower level of the away section and that Bayern would charge the same for the 2nd leg in Munich. If this is the case, it would leave Bayern in violation of the same UEFA Article. As mentioned above, it protects away fans from paying more than any home fan with comparable seats, regardless if the clubs agree to terms on the away ticket prices.

This is not the first time that Bayern fans have accused other European clubs of higher prices. Fans also protested Anderlecht’s pricing policy in 2017. However, this time would likely be different if officials at Bayern were involved in the decisions. It could set a dangerous precedent for future away prices if UEFA decides that clubs can work together to charge away fans more.