Arsenal have no issues with ticket prices, says Arsene Wenger
Friday 12 February 2016 14:52, UK
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the club have no issues with their ticket prices as Premier League teams continue to face scrutiny over their pricing plans.
His comments come just days after Liverpool froze the cost of their matchday and season tickets for the 2016/17 campaign after fans staged a walk-out during their 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday.
Tottenham Hotspur bosses are also looking into suspending their rates amid ongoing discussions with fans after they contested costs of up to £81 for a matchday ticket, but have yet to confirm price plans for next season.
The Gunners currently charge up to £97 for non-members to attend a game at the Emirates Stadium, with fans having to pay a maximum of £2013 for a season ticket, the most expensive in the Premier League.
Last week, Arsenal were one of few top-flight teams to raise opposition to a £30 cap on away tickets, but Wenger insists the tickets are a fair reflection of the quality of football on offer.
"It's a very complicated subject, because how do you decide the right level of ticket prices?" he said. "Firstly it's the attendance but you are being compared at the same time to foreign clubs.
"But I don't think we are on the same level as some. Bayern Munich paid €1m for their ground, we paid £128m for ours.
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"In France, they pay nothing for their stadium, nothing for their maintenance. We pay for everything ourselves so we have to generate more revenue.
"It's true that we get more television income and that's down to the audience and to the success, the pressure on the market is to pay for players at a higher price and increase the wages.
"Afterwards you want the ticket prices to be comfortable for fans, but where is the right level? I looked at the comparisons. Our cheapest price is cheaper than anywhere else in London.
"Our most expensive ticket is a fraction higher than the other clubs in London, but our most common ticket price is lower than many in England, so I don't think we have much of a problem on that front."
