Tag Archives: Napoli

Arsenal fans ripped off in Napoli

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For a long time English football clubs – and mainly Arsenal – were heavily criticised throughout Europe for ticket prices.

In 2015, we saw Bayern Munich fans protest at a Champions League game against having to pay £64 for a ticket.

In recent years we have seen things reverse, European clubs charging extortionate amounts for English clubs to visit, and yet the media in England and throughout Europe have been oddly quiet about it.

For the Europa League game between Arsenal and Napoli, Arsenal are charging just £26, meanwhile Napoli are charging visiting fans £53.

https://twitter.com/DarrenArsenal1/status/1109045140239380480

We also see Barcelona charging Manchester United fans €120 a ticket – the highest they would have paid for an away game in history outside of finals.

In response, Manchester United are charging Barcelona fans the same – and passing on the extra money to their travelling fans subsidising their away ticket.

We have seen this happen a couple of times in recent years – with both Sevilla and Atletico Madrid hiking up prices for visiting English clubs. On both occasions the English clubs in question also hiked the prices up, and then subsidised the away fans with the profits.

It means that travelling fans of Barcelona, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid ended up subsiding fans of Arsenal, Manchester and Liverpool.

The English travelling fans paid a “fairer” amount, the travelling Spanish fans paid a premium, and the only ones to really benefit were the Spanish club. And we are talking about an additional €150,000 in revenue. Not exactly much in the grand scheme of things!

In the Premier League, clubs have to charge away fans for the same as home fans for the “equivalent area”. So at Arsenal, away fans in the corner of the lower tier pay the same as home fans in the corner of the lower tier.

This pricing rule does not exist in Europe – meaning that European sides hike the prices up looking to profit from visiting English fans.

You often see “fans” of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and other European sides boast about how much more reasonable tickets are on the continent than in England. They are then silent when English fans are ripped off when abroad.

These pricing games only push up ticket prices for fans.

If an Italian club increases their price for visiting English fans, and the English club matches it, the only people to lose out are the Italian fans.

Fans abroad are quick enough to protest against English clubs, but seemingly slow to protest against their own club causing them to pay more.

I wonder if in response Arsenal will charge visiting Napoli fans northwards of £50 and then offer discounts to travelling Arsenal fans?

Keenos

10 Reasons why we will beat Napoli to top the group + starting XI

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1.. Everton was a tough game, we wont have many like that this season, Napoli have to come out for a big win, counter attacking will suit us.

2.. No fresh injuries since our last game, the bench will also look pretty strong.

3.. The home crowd will try to unease our players but we are made of harder stuff these days.

4.. We always make the last 16, this year will be no different. Dortmund need to win and we need to lose 0-3 for us to go out.

5.. Napoli got stuffed at home to Udinese at the weekend and are sitting 3rd in there league, played 15, won 10, drawn 2 lost 3 and are 8 points off leaders Juve

6.. Napoli have shipped in 9 goals in the 5 games so far in the Champions League, we have let in just 3.

7.. Wenger (yes I am giving him some credit) has done well recently in rotating the squad. This game is perfect for Flamini with his experience in Italy, I hope he starts him.

8.. Theo his pace will scare the hell out of them, he should be a must starter.

9.. Let’s hope Wenger and the team have learnt from past experiences, we must finish top of the group to avoid a tricky game next round.

10… Wenger knows. Get this game out the way and his great run of getting out of the group stages continues, 90mins of hard work and a team up for it is all that’s needed.

Likely starting XI – Chesney, Jenks, Per, Kos, Gibbs, flamini, Ramsey, Rosicky, Ozil, Theo, Giroud.

GC
CL

1-0 to The Arsenal – A fifth famous scalp

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Tonight Arsenal became the first English side to win in Dortmund. This follows up a victory in Germany last year, when Arsenal became the first English side to win in Munich. Arsenal are also the first English side to beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, the first English side to beat AC Milan in the San Siro, and the first English side to beat Inter Milan at the San Siro. And who can forget Paul Vaessen scoring to make Arsenal the 1st English team to win at Juventus in 1980?

The victory was old school Arsenal. Defending. Riding their luck. And 1-0 to The Arsenal. Yes, we might not have had any shots in the first half, but in all honesty, we restricted Borussia Dortmund to not much more than a few pot shots from distance.

Per Mertesacker showed once more that it does not matter if you do not have pace if your brain is quicker than any other player on the pitch. If you can not get past a defender, it does not matter that you are quicker than him, and the way he marshalled and lead his men at the back was reminiscent to Tony Adams in the 90s. Is Per Mertesacker the best centre back in European football? It will be hard to argue against it. Especially when you remember a defenders job is to defend, not to pass the ball around and look pretty.

Another goal from The General that is Aaron Ramsey. Backing up my claim that Per Mertesacker is the best defender in Europe, is there a better midfielder?

Arsenal target Robert Lewandowski has joined another Arsenal target, Luis Suarez, is the pocket of the defence. A poor performance reinforcing my view that he is fairly overhyped. The Polish Andy Cole, is what I nicknamed him a couple of years ago. He needs a lot of chances for his goals.

A victory against Marseille does not guarantee Arsenal progression, as a Dortmund win at home to Napoli leaves us on 12, and both Napoli & Dortmund on 9. It would leave a 3 way shoot out for the top 2 places going into the last day.

After victories against Liverpool and Dortmund, I am finally looking forward to a real test away to Manchester United on Sunday. With 15 games unbeaten away from home, it will actually be disappointing to not win on Sunday.

Just a reminder of those records:

  • Arsenal are the 1st English team to win away to Juventus
  • Arsenal are the 1st English team to win away to Inter Milan
  • Arsenal are the 1st English team to win away to Real Madrid
  • Arsenal are the 1st English team to win away to AC Milan
  • Arsenal are the 1st English team to win away to Bayern Munich
  • Arsenal are the 1st English team to win away to Borussia Dortmund

Up The Arsenal

Keenos