Fan group criticizes Real Madrid over Liverpool ticket quota

By The Associated Press

FILE - Real Madrid's Karim Benzema kicks the ball during the Champions League Group F soccer match between Real Madrid and Celtic at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Nov. 2, 2022. Barcelona and Real Madrid resume their fight for the Spanish league title as the competition starts again following a seven-week hiatus for the World Cup. Barcelona has a two-point lead and hosts Espanyol at Camp Nou on Saturday Dec. 31, 2022, a day before defending champion Madrid visits Valladolid. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Manu Fernandez]

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Real Madrid has been criticized by the UEFA-recognized group representing European soccer fans for allocating Liverpool too few tickets for the teams’ Champions League round-of-16 game. Liverpool fans got a 1,800-seat quota for the March 15 second-leg game in Madrid. It should have been at least 3,000 according to Champions League rules. They mandate allocating 5% of stadium capacity. Football Supporters Europe says it’s “entirely unacceptable for a club to openly disregard UEFA regulations.” Madrid has cited long-running construction work at its Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The biggest attendance there this season has been under 63,000.