Many foreigners of Ukrainian descent could find it hard to attend matches of their team of heritage.
A ticket rule change coming into effect for the Euro 2012 soccer championship has the potential of limiting the match attendance options of countless fans wishing to root for a particular national team.
According to the rule change, only residents or citizens of a participating Euro 2012 national team can apply for the “Follow My Team” option in which ticketholders can book tickets for all matches played by their team.
This means, for example, that fans of the Ukrainian team residing abroad and who are not citizens of Ukraine will have to apply for individual matches instead or rely on relatives. In previous tournaments, including Euro 2008 and the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, any fan could have chosen the “Follow My Team” ticket package.
This rule will affect any of the hundreds of thousands of British, American, Canadian and Australian citizens of Ukrainian descent who want to follow their team.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said the ticket rule change is “aimed at ensuring a festive and safe atmosphere in the stadiums,” adding that “a key parameter in the implementation of such security is based on the segregation of fans.”
UEFA also added that fans who are of Ukrainian or Polish heritage could apply for tickets for individual matches of their favorite team as it is already known where they will play their three group matches.
“Furthermore, and as every individual is allowed to apply for up to four tickets per match, they could also rely on relatives still living in their country of origin to purchase ‘Follow My Team’ tickets,” UEFA said in an emailed statement sent to the Kyiv Post.
Still, the rule change has some fans up in arms. British citizen and Ukrainian soccer fan Phil Howden called UEFA’s move a “disappointment.”
“I will now (have to apply) for the games on an individual match basis and hope for the best, although this makes getting any ticket for the knockout stages … very difficult logistically,” said Howden, who lives in the United Kingdom.
UEFA defended the move by mentioning the remaining ticket procurement options left for those who don’t qualify for the “Follow My Team” option, which include purchasing tickets through the ticket resale platform on its website.
“We think that there are still several options left for such fans and that it was therefore most appropriate to ensure minimum security risk by implementing fans’ segregation. This move should also have a positive impact on diminishing potential black market activities,” UEFA said.
Applications for Euro 2012 tickets are being accepted March 1-31 on UEFA’s website and will be selected via an independently audited lottery system in April.
Kyiv Post staff writer Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
