The Dutch’s Peculiar Image in Düsseldorf Explains the Chaotic Euroticket System | Relief

Moments before the start of the match between France and Belgium in Dusseldorf, with the Marseillaise playing in the background, The television broadcast undoubtedly showed a group of Dutch people present at the stadium.. They were wearing their usual orange shirts and posed together. It was not a mistake of the eyes instead of the Belgian red. They were solid defenders of the “Oranje”. The big question is what they were doing there. The Netherlands play on Tuesday in Munich… The answer comes through the complex system of selling tickets for the Eurocup. But it’s difficult to organize the system: how can we ensure that all countries are represented by the time of the qualifying rounds?

UEFA once opened the ticket purchasing process to the general public. In the group stage, everything was simpler: you just buy a seat for your team’s matches. The problem comes later, and expectations play a big role. A group of Netherlands fans were there because they believed their team would finish second in the tough Group D.

in which Austria, Poland and France also fought.

That is, they trusted Koeman and his team, but they used their minds and realism, not their hearts and They believed that they could not surpass France.They were wrong, because it was Austria who were the leaders of the group, the Gauls were in second position, and the Netherlands were in third. So it was unthinkable to guess about the fate of his team if they had foreseen this third place.

Eight matches of the 16-match round are played in different cities, and the third in the group can participate in four different matches depending on which four advance to the round. A real headache for fans. So, How is it possible that there are so many French and Belgian followers in Dusseldorf?Did they really know in advance what would happen?

New ticket sales

The European body knew this would happen and then considered two options to deal with the problem. First, To prevent ticket resale abuse and fraud due to their nominal value, UEFA has opened a portal in which fans could sell seats they had already officially and legally purchased for the original purchase price. This space became a lifesaver for those who ultimately couldn’t attend or found themselves with a “ticket” to a match they weren’t really interested in.

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It certainly wasn’t the most accessible way for Dusseldorf, for example, to don the Belgian colours mid-Monday. UEFA also reserved a significant number of tickets, which went on sale a few days ago, for the play-off matches. That is, Fans participating in the decisive rounds will be able to quickly buy ticketsas can happen with any League or Champions game.

In the case of Spain UEFA puts 6,000 tickets on sale for national audience ahead of Georgia matchThey were freely available and directly to the Spanish people, as well as to those who may have had access reserved previously, or who could obtain it through resale.

Priority access to purchasing tickets was given to those who had already purchased tickets for three group stage matches. They received a message directly from UEFA. so that they know that they have the opportunity to buy a new ticket for a life-or-death match.

It may happen that these fans will not get 6,000 tickets.. In fact, it would even be normal. There is a huge influx of housing in the cities where the European Championship is taking place, prices are sky-high… So what? UEFA is leaving one more place for Spanish fans registered in the organization’s ticket application. because at some point they made a purchase. If there were any left over, they would already be available to the general public and could be accessed by fans from any country.

This small group of Dutchmen was not an isolated event. They were everywhere, in small groups, wanting to anticipate. The amazing Group D shattered their expectations. It wasn’t easy for them to get to Munich either, it’s a five hour drive. They stopped in Dusseldorf and saw a great game between France and Belgium. It will probably happen again, although the orange gives them away, but it will be more vivid than any other case. An image that shows a system that can’t be perfect and that causes some headaches. Want to go to a European Cup match? Study this to the last millimeter.