Chelsea is not authorised to sell any additional tickets for home or away games for the foreseeable future as part of a set of UK government limitations imposed on the club following the punishment of owner Roman Abramovich
Season ticket holders and tickets acquired prior to the sanctions can still attend games.
The Blues may have won three points against Newcastle in front of a sell-out crowd, but when only season-ticket holders are permitted to attend, those numbers will begin to shrink.
The stadium was only able to open as a result of a modification to Chelsea’s operating rules, which saw their expenditure cap increased from £500,000 to £900,000 each match day.
Who Can Purchase Tickets To Chelsea Matches In 2021/22 And What Happens To Season Ticket Holders
The Blues are still unable to sell tickets for games, and some corporate credit cards have been stopped by risk-averse banks.
At the present, even getting to Champions League games is a struggle. The expenditure limit on travel remains at £20,000 per game, but the club is said to be in daily talks with the government about raising it because it is far less than what is necessary to properly and securely transport the whole team and support personnel to games.
Manager Thomas Tuchel quipped that if necessary, he would take the minibus to France himself next week in order for his team to complete their game against Lille on Wednesday night.
Ticket Holders Of Upcoming Matches
Those who have already purchased match tickets or season tickets will have their purchases honoured, but the club will no longer be able to sell tickets for future games.
It means that games later in the season will be seen just by season ticket holders, estimated to number approximately 28,000, while if Chelsea advances in the Champions League, they would virtually be shut out of the competition, as cup ties are not included in season tickets.
Following the news, the Chelsea ticket sales website went down.
What about the FA Cup?
Chelsea said on Tuesday that, despite conversations with the UK government, it will be unable to sell tickets for its next FA Cup match against Middlesbrough, a side from the Championship, the second tier below the Premier League.
It then stated that it has requested that all fans be barred from Saturday’s game in Middlesbrough for reasons of “sporting integrity,” basically suggesting that having no away fans would put the club at a disadvantage.
Chelsea’s proposal was swiftly condemned by the UK government and Middlesbrough, with Middlesbrough calling it “ironic in the extreme” for the club to debate “sporting integrity” in the context of its owner being sanctioned for his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Chelsea is afraid that a prohibition on ticket sales may result in a long-term FFP issue.
If Chelsea advances to the semi-finals, it’s unknown how many fans would be able to see the match at Wembley Stadium.
What About The Supporters From Other Teams?
As things stand, it appears that Chelsea’s sanctions will prevent away supporters from purchasing tickets for subsequent games.
The Premier League is reported to be working on a solution to allow visiting fans to attend games at Stamford Bridge, with concerns about the competition’s credibility if both teams’ followers are not there.
What About The Next Season?
Chelsea are preparing more negotiations with the Premier League to guarantee that they can run as normal as possible as a club, as they are now unable to proceed with season ticket renewals, a major source of revenue with the cheapest season ticket at £595.
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