Scotland boss Steve Clarke has claimed that the ticket allocation for the World Cup is 'a joke' and fears fans could drive themselves into debt just to attend games.
The cost of being a fan at this summer's tournament has been a talking point for months leading up to it. Tickets can cost several hundred pounds, while the prices of accommodation and travel are also proving a challenge for fans. FIFA's competitive pricing strategy has been widely criticised, and leading individuals in US politics have sought answers from football's governing body.
Scotland will begin their World Cup efforts against Haiti before also facing group games against Morocco and Brazil, with Clarke guiding the Scots to their first World Cup since 1998. But he has been left stunned at the lack of tickets handed to the country's fans, especially given the size of the stadiums involved.
The former Kilmarnock boss, who also led Scotland to the last two Euros, hopes that fans do not leave themselves in financial turmoil simply to be present at the World Cup. He told The Telegraph: 'The worst thing that people can do is put themselves into debt that they can’t get out of. It shouldn’t be as expensive as it is. Some people may go into debt but, as long as they can pay for it, recover it and pay it back without putting themselves through too much trouble.'
'Football needs to be careful that it doesn’t lose touch with the people that matter, and that’s the supporters. The stadiums take up to 60,000 people, and the Scottish FA were only given 4,000 tickets. I think that’s a joke. There’s nothing you can do about it, and it’s not right.'
FIFA's ticket policy always risked alienating fans, and the second fixture of the World Cup in the early hours of Friday morning saw South Korea beat the Czech Republic at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. Empty sections were plainly visible throughout the match, particularly in the VIP zones and sections opposite the primary camera.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has continued to defend the prices, insisting that they are operating in a US market where tickets are usually expensive. He also underlined the fact that FIFA have one tournament to make revenue every four years, but that the money is put back into the game.
