UK Champions League match seats touted online to foreign yobs who ‘could put lives at risk’

Rogue online re-seller Viagogo is selling tickets to games in the UK that could see notorious Russian hooligans allowed into the home end of games putting fans lives at risk

Football fans celebrate while watching a match(Getty )

Football thugs from abroad are being allowed to sit with home fans at English Champions League matches by money-grabbing ticket touts.

Rogue online re-seller Viagogo is selling tickets to games in the UK that could see notorious Russian hooligans allowed into the home end of games putting fans lives at risk.

The site for online touts – which has been savaged by MPs earlier this year – has seats for the game between a Liverpool and Spartan Moscow in December for £436 each.

But an investigation by the Sunday Mirror has discovered the company was also doing the same at games between Tottenham and Real Madrid and other UEFA matches.

Other online sites have been selling thousands of tickets, notably to the Arsenal-Cologne Europa League game last month which had to be delayed by an hour amid scenes of chaos.

Seats are being sold to notorious Russian thugs

Our source said: “Viagogo are openly selling away fans tickets in home ends for up coming champions league games.

“We had Arsenal delayed other month and now have some serious risky games with Russians being sold tickets in home end of Anfield. But no on putting stop to this highly risky and illegal behaviour.

“UEFA was meant to be taking them to court for doing same at the Euros. Liverpool games all have notes.

“You can’t view the tickets in the UK, it’s for away fans only.

Jordan Henderson of Liverpool shows appreciation to the fans(Getty)

“But in the notes it’s says away fans will be in home end. This is obviously as home end tickets easier and cheaper to source.

“They have everyone by balls as most of the time the away fan doesn’t know it’s the home end until the tickets arrive.

“Then they can’t get a refund. Our source says Viagogo’s terms mean all fans can do is sell them on.

“In the case of the Liverpool fan who thinks they are selling legally to another Liverpool fan, they’re treated just as badly.

A police officer poses for photographs with English Premier League soccer club membership cards and UEFA Champions League match tickets(PA)

“Once they get the address and realise they’re selling abroad Viagogo’s terms mean they have to send them on or they won’t get paid. It’s awful.

“Do we need another major incident for people to take notice?”

Ticket industry expert Reg Walker, of the Iridium Consultancy, warned fans could end up paying with their lives because of the way the secondary ticketing sites are allowed to operate.

He said: “It’s another disaster waiting to happen. Someone is going to end up getting killed.

“There’s a huge loophole that allows touts to sell tickets if they have a website that is based abroad.

“But the reality is that the tickets might never leave the UK. They’ll just get picked up by the away fan when they arrive in the country.

Viagogo has been selling the tickets online

“The Arsenal game could have ended up much worse than it did. Away fans who got tickets in the Arsenal end were literally fighting their way to get with their mates from Cologne.

“There was a huge failure and they were lucky they got away with it. But it’s down to these sites who don’t give a damn about who they’re selling tickets to as long as they make their money.

“It’s a warning that the clubs and the police need to take a long look at. Look at the rise of football hooliganism in East Europe and the Ultras. They have got some nasty thugs amongst them.”

Sharon Hodgson MP, said: “There are clear worries around security and safety here.

“These must be addressed quickly by the authorities before we see any serious fatalities at a football game, all because touts want to make a quick buck.”