Manchester United are investigating after a number of Galatasaray fans appeared to be given tickets in the home section of Old Trafford during Tuesday’s Champions League match.
The Turkish side pulled off a surprise 3-2 win in Manchester, but during and after the match, a large section of what appeared to be Galatasaray fans gathered in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand (pictured above), while hundreds more turned up in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand. , they make their way towards the away section to take part in the festivities.
The apparent ticketing issue was the cause of many United supporters complaining on social media.
As with all European matches, United had measures in place to try to prevent fans from reaching their home regions, including a ban on ticket sales to anyone with a Turkish address. At this stage, United believe that promotion and sales through official channels to UK-based Galatasaray fans were the cause of the issue.
UEFA rules, like the majority of international and club matches, stipulate that away fans must be separated during the match.
They say: “The visiting association or club must allocate 5 percent of the stadium’s total capacity as tickets for its fans in a designated sector of the stadium.
“This sector of the stadium must be separable from other sectors. The location of away supporters within this sector must be agreed in advance by the police and public authorities.
United’s official ticket portal is the only place to buy tickets for Champions League matches for fans of the home team. An individual must be a club member or season ticket holder to use the portal.
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