Football Supporters Europe demand Real Sociedad releases away tickets to Ajax

Football Supporters Europe has demanded that Real Sociedad release away tickets for the club’s UEFA Europa League match against Ajax on November 28.

Real Sociedad has not yet released the five per cent ticket allocation for Ajax fans that they are required to provide as stated in Article 45.01 of the competition’s regulations.

“We demand that Real Sociedad release the away allocation to Ajax without any further delay,” read a Football Supporters Europe statement.

“If they fail to do so, we expect UEFA to ensure that Real Sociedad respects the long-established UEFA regulations and the presence of away fans. A club denying tickets to away fans would set a precedent of dangerous consequences, if not sanctioned accordingly.

The supporters body has issued a warning of the consequences that could be felt if the Spanish side do not make the tickets available.

“This will have a major impact on thousands of Ajax fans, who have already taken off work, booked flights, and paid for accommodation for the two teams’ upcoming UEL fixture on 28 November,” the statement continued.

“It also poses an additional security risk when hundreds of Ajax fans will be present in the city of San Sebastian, but not able to access the away sector.

“Additionally, the non-compliance of Real Sociedad with UEFA regulations might lead to drastic consequences for fans of Real Sociedad, as a continued breach of these regulations could mean a decision where the game has to be played outside of San Sebastian or without any fans at all (Article 26.02 UEFA Europa League Regulations).”

Football Supporters Europe also argued that the situation casts doubt over Spain’s ability to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030, which it is set to do so alongside co-hosts Portugal and Morocco.

Real Sociedad informed Ajax that it is not selling away tickets for the match due to possible crowd trouble.

It claims that poor fan behaviour from visiting European teams is a regular occurrence and that it is acting to ensure safety.

Real Sociedad’s 2-1 Europa League defeat by Anderlecht on October 3 was marred by crowd violence from the Belgian club’s fans.

Ajax has also been punished several times by UEFA for fan trouble. In March 2019, the Dutch club faced their fourth UEFA punishment of that season for fan misconduct at Champions League games.