Europa League final LIVE: Tottenham vs Man Utd branded 'scandalous'

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur supporters booking last-minute trips to the Europa League final are being charged thousands of pounds.

Direct return flights from the UK to Bilbao in northern Spain cost from more than £1,000, hotel rooms are at least £1,200, while match tickets are available on resale websites from about £500.

The final kicks off at 9pm local time (8pm BST) on Wednesday.

EasyJet is charging £1,823 to fly from Gatwick to Bilbao on Wednesday morning and return on Thursday morning. A return trip from Heathrow with British Airways - out on Wednesday morning, back on Thursday afternoon - costs £1,288.

Spanish airline Vueling is offering flights from Gatwick on Tuesday night, returning on Thursday night, for £1,179. A return trip on the same route a week later is available from just £116.

Tickets for the match at the San Mames Stadium are being sold on marketplace Ticombo from about £500. Some Man Utd and Spurs supporters were able to buy tickets through official channels from just £34.

The cheapest hotel rooms in central Bilbao on the night of the match are being sold on Booking.com for about £1,200. That is compared with £78 on Thursday night.

Airline pricing is generally driven by demand, with fares rising for a flight as more seats are filled. Booking.com, which does not control the pricing of accommodation listed on its website, previously urged providers to "act fairly".

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has blasted both teams in the Europa League final for their miserable campaigns.

He insists that victory in Bilbao offers little relief because of their disasters in domestic competitions, though he does think that the Red Devils will edge Tottenham on the night.

He told Betfred: “The players from both sides have a lot to prove to their fans and themselves, so whichever side wins it, in theory they should hang their heads in shame because they’ve let themselves down domestically and that’s what’s important.

"Tottenham have beaten them three times already this season, so can they beat them four times? I don’t believe one side could beat a team four times in a season, especially when you’re talking about Manchester United.

"Look at Celtic and Rangers, are we saying that one of those sides is going to beat the other four times in a season? Manchester United can’t let this happen, so for that reason I’m going to say Manchester United will win it.”

Both sets of travelling supporters have hit out at the "scandalous" nature of getting to Bilbao and stopping overnight.

Flights have been raised by thousands of pounds from England to the Spanish area, forcing some to travel by boat, while accommodation prices have gone through the roof. Some hostels cost in the region of £550 per night.

One Manchester United fan, Dale O'Donnell, told the Independent: “Planning the trip was made difficult by the scandalous pricing of direct flights and limited accommodation. We looked at all the routes, before deciding to fly to Bordeaux. We’ll leave in the early hours after the game.”

Barney Chilton of the Red News fanzine added: “There is profiteering everywhere but, with so little time to book, it’s just wrong that this happens every final. I’m not sure what Uefa can do, but surely something. The majority get royally done over just wanting to see their team in a rare European final.”

Several complaints have been raised that Bilbao is not equipped to handle a final of such magnitude, with 80,000-plus fans expected to make the trip from England.

Source