Gill admits final difficulties
01 May 2008 - 08:41:51
Manchester United chief executive David Gill claims the club could have sold 100,000 tickets for their Champions League Final meeting with Chelsea in Moscow.
The Red Devils have received an allocation of just 21,000 for the European showpiece on May 21 and Gill has conceded there are going to be a huge number of disappointed supporters.
"Our allocation is just over 21,000 tickets and with season ticket holders, box holders and other internal usage, it is a difficult process," he told MUTV.
"We could sell well over 100,000 tickets for this final, so there will be a lot of disappointed people."
Meanwhile, Gill has reassured fans who receive tickets that there will be no problem with travel visas necessary to enter Russia.
"The visa issue has been there for a while," he continued.
"We had discussions with UEFA and the local organising committee along with the other semi-finalists.
"If you are on an organised trip, your ticket will be your visa.
"The actual specifics and fine details will be addressed in the next day or so and then we will communicate with the fans.
"Everyone in UEFA from (president) Michel Platini to the local organising committee recognise in order for it to be a showcase, which it clearly will be, you have to ease entry into the country while not totally doing away with what the Russian authorities require."
Elsewhere, United have enhanced their status as the richest football club in the world.
The Old Trafford club are now worth a table-topping £0.9billion - up from £0.7billion in 2007 - according to Forbes magazine.