Europe’s top soccer governing body on Feb. 1 announced the ticket-buying process for the Euro 2012 soccer championship, co-hosted by Ukraine and Poland.
Representatives of the Union of European Football Associations announced that fans can now set up an account and prepare ticket applications on the uefa.com website, the only platform through which tickets will be sold.
Ticket applications to all 31 tournament matches – split between Ukraine and Poland with the championship game to be held in Kyiv – will start on March 1 and end March 31. Tickets will then be allocated via a lottery system in April. All notifications will be sent by email.
UEFA officials said tickets will cost between 30 and 600 euros. The lottery includes measures to ensure that a fair share of tickets will be set aside for residents of the eight host cities, four of which are in each co-host country of Poland and Ukraine, UEFA representatives said.
“The tournament is around the corner. We can feel it. Right now is the perfect time for host countries to buy tickets,” said Martin Kallen, UEFA’s Euro 2012 operations director. “Roads are being fixed. Airports are being built. You can already feel the excitement.”
Residents of each host city will be allocated 2,000 tickets per match, or 62,000 tickets throughout the tournament.
The host cities in Ukraine are Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Lviv. Should a resident of these cities not get chosen during the initial lottery, their application will be considered in the general lottery pool with the rest of applicants.
Around 75 percent of 1.4 million tickets are intended to reach the general public; the rest will be set aside for sponsors, media, UEFA officials and VIP clients, UEFA representatives added.
The tournament is around the corner. We can feel it. Right now is the perfect time for host countries to buy tickets.”
– Martin Kallen, UEFA’s Euro 2012 operations director.
Five ticket products are being made available. Fans can apply for tickets to individual matches or choose to follow one team either in the group stage (three matches) or throughout the tournament (three to six matches) as far as their team advances.
Soccer enthusiasts can also opt for the venue series in which they get to watch all the matches at a single venue in the group stage or watch the two playoff matches taking place at a single venue.
People living with disabilities will also be allocated a specific amount of tickets including free tickets to those accompanying them.
UEFA has set up three price categories.
First category tickets are seated in the main and opposite stand of the pitch. Seats in the second category are located in the corners and behind the goals on the upper tier of stadiums. Third category seats are behind the goals on the lower tier.
A maximum of four tickets will be sold to each applicant.
Ukrainians and Poles will be allowed to purchase tickets in their local currencies or in euros via national bank transfers or with credit cards. Residents of other countries will have to exclusively use credit cards.
Complete information can be found at the uefa.com website.
Kyiv Post staff writer Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
