EU Upholds World Cup Ticket Complaint

The European Commission claimed success Monday in securing cheaper tickets for fans to next year's football World Cup in Germany, by forcing FIFA to allow different payment methods to buy their prized seats.

The European Union (EU)'s executive arm, responding to a complaint by a British consumer group, pressed world soccer's governing body to abandon a system which led to some fans outside the euro zone paying high bank charges.

Specifically it said that fans not in the 12-member bloc sharing Europe's single currency will now be able to make domestic money transfers in their home country, instead of sometimes expensive international payments in euros.

Soccer fans set to benefit, claims commissioner

"Following these changes, football fans will benefit from a fairer choice of payment methods for World Cup tickets," said EU competition chief Neelie Kroes, announcing the response to a complaint by British consumer group Which?

"Fans from all over Europe want fairer access to these tickets, especially as it may be many years before the World Cup will be back in Europe," she added in a statement.

The British consumer group made a formal complaint to the European Commission in March in which it accused FIFA, the German Football League and MasterCard of "anti-competitive" ticketing arrangements that breach European law.

Consumer group complained of discrimination

Which? claimed that the ticket system for 2006 World Cup discriminated against fans outside Germany and contravened the EU's own competition rules, adding that the deal struck between the three entities was anti-competitive and put soccer fans in Britain and around Europe at a disadvantage, as well as imposing additional and unnecessary costs on them.

Under the original rules, tickets for matches in the early stages of the tournament could be bought only by using MasterCard, one of the sponsors, or by sending cash via a bank transfer -- which can cost up to £30 (44 euros, $59) -- or via a German bank account. Fans who did not use these methods of payment would not have their applications for tickets processed.

New bank accounts for non-euro zone countries

Under the new arrangements, FIFA and the German Football Association will open bank accounts in the 16 non-euro zone countries which are members of the European Economic Area (EAA), and accept payments in the local currency. This will include Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The FIFA change of payment system applies to the second sales period of tickets for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, which began Monday with a closing date of November 15.

The ticketing system has been under fire ever since it was revealed. As well as complaints surrounding distribution, the system has been criticized for its complexity and has also been the subject of alleged fraud and the target for Internet black marketeers.

In total 2.93 million World Cup tickets are on sale to the general public and a first batch of 812,000 tickets were sold in the first sales period.

Ticket prices range from 35 euros to 600 euros for soccer's biggest showpiece running from June 9 until July 9, 2006.