I swapped Premier League for £4 footie games abroad with cost of whole European trip less than a match back home

The Irish Sun

11 hours ago

BRITISH footie fans sick of sky-high ticket prices are taking sunny European city breaks to watch foreign games instead - for the same price or LESS.
With Premier League resale tickets starting in the hundreds, endless season ticket waiting lists and train fares through the roof, watching your team play in person can feel near impossible.
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Many football fans are turning a cheap European football match into a mini holiday abroad (file photo)
Credit: Alamy
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Bargain-hunting football fans are flocking to the Continent
Credit: Getty
Another fan added: "I'm quite annoyed at
"It's pricing fans out, especially families. The match day experience is everything for a lot of us and it feels like it's being forgotten."
Prices for UK games have now risen so much that savvy supporters are realising they can catch a cheap flight abroad, squeeze in some sightseeing and bag a £4 ticket to a game in
With the costs of fuel, pints and parking adding up - many British
Bargain breaks - how to watch European games for cheap
Joe Donald and his brother Pete found a knack for scouring the web for the
Joe said: "Coppa Italia games can be particularly good value.
"Fans in the UK are being priced out of watching their local team due to rising ticket prices, and away days in the UK are getting more expensive due to increasing rail fares.
"It's no surprise therefore that the desire to go see matches in Milan,
Now Joe and his brother Pete run
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Joe Donald and his brother Pete watched Milan v Torino at the San Siro for under a fiver
Credit: Joe Donald
Inside 30,000 capacity European stadium visited by Chelsea where you can enjoy game in a hot tub eating fondue
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The opportunity to visit iconic stadiums, such as Rome's Stadio Olimpico, is a huge part of why people are snagging these cheap tickets
Credit: Getty
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Getting in the sea after watching a game - not something you can normally do in the UK
Credit: Alamy
Going to a match abroad is not only a cheaper alternative, it also means you get to see the city and tick off iconic sights.
Why sit on a stuffy train on the way to an away game, when you can swing by Rome's
Joe said: "If fans can get tickets to see a game at the
"We've used
Triptix
to attend games in Brussels, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Valencia. Napoli is top of our list for next season."
Portugal over the Premier League
It can be tough enough to bag a Premier League ticket in the first place - without a season ticket, you can shell out hundreds to watch a match.
And if you're you're lucky enough to become a season ticket holder, securing a 'lower' season ticket for a club like
Gunners fan Avi Attavar regularly attends home games, spending around £80 per Category A match, plus extra expenses.
Per match, Avi spends around £40 in petrol, £20 for parking, £6 per pint and £12.35 if he fancies a hot dog and a beer.
All in all, that works out at around £160 a game.
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Avi and his partner regularly watch Arsenal at the Emirates stadium, but now they're looking to spend their cash on European matches
Credit: Avi Attavar
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Avi bought the spirit of Arsenal to Lisbon on a recent city break to watching Sporting play
Credit: Avi Attavar
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It's the perfect opportunity for Avi to enjoy his favourite sport, and experience new destinations, such as Lisbon
Credit: Avi Attavar
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Fans can take in top flight matches, for less than a pint would cost at a Prem game
Credit: Jenna Stevens
What Avi spent watching Arsenal, vs Sporting Lisbon
What Avi spent watching his beloved Arsenal
Match ticket £80
Petrol £60
Parking £40
Pint and a hotdog £12
Total: £192
And what he spent to watch Sporting Lisbon
Match ticket £12.35
Return Flights £50
Coffee and a roll £2.50
Pint £1.28
BnB £20
Metro ticket £6
Total: £92.13
Compare that to Avi's trip to Portugal to watch Sporting Lisbon, which cost under £100 all in.
He told us: "Match tickets were just £12.35, while our return flights from London cost £50 each. A coffee with a Portuguese roll came to around £2.50, and a pint of Super Bock near the stadium was only £1.28.
"We stayed in a
That's a city break with a footie match and overnight stay in Lisbon for under £100.
He added: "One big tip is to plan well in advance as soon as the
"And consider staying in hostels or boutique hotels rather than Airbnbs, to help keep costs down."
Now, Avi's turning bargain match days into
Next up, he's managed to convince his girlfriend to come with him to a match in
Why is it cheaper to watch football matches abroad?
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Pub crawls are a popular way to explore a new city after a match
Credit: Alamy
The reason these tickets can be so much cheaper abroad is because of the sheer demand for
In the UK, ticket prices soar on resale sites as supporters scramble for the last remaining seats, whereas a lower attendance rate means lower prices abroad.
If you choose to organise the trip yourself, book directly through the club websites for the best deals.
Avi cautioned: "Many third-party sites add mark-ups for foreign fans, but it's usually straightforward to book yourself and avoid the extra charges."
Furthermore, with budget airlines like
The same goes for many European destinations. You can fly from London to Basel to catch a Swiss match for £29.98 return, or to France's Toulouse for the same price.
And with rail fares in this country going through the roof, it can often be
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Beach, beers and bargain football tickets make for a great short stay
Credit: Alamy