Supportersvereniging Ajax, AFCA Supportersclub, Supporterscollectief Nederland, FASFE, and Football Supporters Europe are appalled about the continued refusal by Real Sociedad to provide Ajax Amsterdam with away fans tickets.
Real Sociedad San Sebastian has not yet released the 5% ticket allocation for Ajax fans that they are required to provide as stated in Article 45.01 of the UEFA Europa League regulations.
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. 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).
It also leaves serious doubt about Spain being qualified to host a World Cup in 2030, if it already seems impossible to host away fans adequately for a regular Europa League fixture in the league phase.
To that end, we demand that Real Sociedad release the away allocation to Ajax without any further delay. 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.