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Valencia FC has stirred controversy among its supporters after announcing the implementation of dynamic pricing for home match tickets, a practice that adjusts prices based on demand. The club, following a trend seen in other entertainment industries, stated that ticket prices will start at a base rate but may increase as the match day approaches. This means that fans purchasing tickets later could pay significantly more than those who buy early.
“Following the global trend in shows, sporting events and entertainment, Valencia will join this practice, which has the support and technology of La Liga,” the club said. The move has been met with significant opposition from fans and supporters’ groups, who argue that it unfairly exploits fan loyalty.
Libertad VCF, a prominent Valencia supporters’ group, expressed strong disapproval. A spokesperson told BBC Sport, “We are radically against it. It is a strategy of pure speculation based on demand without taking into consideration that football fans are not simply customers who don’t care if they fly with Ryanair or British Airways.”
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), representing fans in England and Wales, also criticized the introduction of dynamic pricing into football. “With impeccable timing after the Oasis fiasco, voices in football have started to float the idea of infecting football with dynamic pricing,” an FSA spokesperson said, warning of potential backlash from fans already frustrated with rising ticket prices.
Valencia, majority-owned by former Salford City shareholder Peter Lim, defended the policy by arguing that it rewards fans who plan ahead and buy tickets early. “We understand the concern but we believe it’s more about fairness,” the club stated. “It wouldn’t be fair for someone who planned ahead and bought a ticket early to pay the same as someone who waited until the last minute.”
Despite these justifications, the policy has drawn ire from fans who feel that they are being treated more as consumers than as integral parts of the club. Libertad VCF argued, “What is not fair is that a fan, who loves his club… is treated as a mere ‘spectator’… Clubs without fans are nothing.”
The Premier League in England requires clubs to publish ticket prices at the start of each season, which theoretically prevents dynamic pricing. However, with nearly all Premier League clubs having raised prices for the 2024-25 season, fan discontent over ticketing practices is already high.
