AC Milan back away-fan boycott as Udinese ticket dispute intensifies

AC Milan have supported plans by their fans to boycott Sunday’s Serie A fixture against Udinese in protest at the 65-euro cost of away tickets.

The club said the price placed an unfair financial burden on supporters who travel to matches and could harm the relationship between fans and Italian football.

Milan also warned that excessive away-ticket prices risk weakening Serie A’s efforts to compete with the Premier League and other leading European leagues.

In a statement, the club highlighted the importance of supporters to Italian football’s international appeal.

“The global appeal of Italian football depends heavily on the loyalty and passion of supporters of clubs like AC Milan,” Milan said.

“Charging those same fans excessive prices for away games is not only unfair, but undermines the unity of the league at a time when Italian football needs to come together to compete against the Premier League and other European leagues.”

Milan have called for Serie A to introduce a league-wide limit on away tickets, following the model used in the Premier League, where prices are capped at 30 pounds.

The club also said it could consider introducing a reciprocal pricing policy, provided it was permitted under league regulations.

Under that proposal, supporters of clubs that charge Milan fans more for away matches could face higher prices when visiting San Siro.

Milan said any extra income generated through such a system would be “donated to Fondazione Milan to support charitable initiatives”.

“Italian football cannot grow stronger by treating supporters differently based on the size of their club,” the statement added.

The dispute is the latest in a series of complaints from Milan’s ultras about the cost of attending away games.

Supporters’ group Curva Sud previously boycotted an away match against Juventus in 2023 in protest at ticket prices.

The group repeated its concerns last season over the cost of travelling to matches against Juventus and also accused Torino of setting excessive prices for visiting supporters.