Pep Guardiola responds to Manchester City fan protests over ticket prices at Etihad Stadium | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that he is ‘on the side of the people’ when discussing supporter protests against rising ticket prices at the club.

Supporter groups arranged their second protest of scale when the Premier League champions welcomed Aston Villa this week, in direct backlash towards the club’s recent ticketing strategy and partnerships agreed with third-party resellers.

Among the topics marked as issues to protest against outside the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night was the fact that Manchester City’s capacity had increased by 9,000 in recent years, although there are now fewer season tickets than six years ago.

It has also been pointed out that as a direct result, club officials have deployed staggering prices that now see adults forced to pay up to £88 for a Manchester City matchday ticket, or up to £58 for a child.

It was recently confirmed that a ninth official ticket reseller had been signed off, with ‘legalised touts’ being welcomed into the club with open arms – including Viagogo – but raising the prospect of heightened prices and away supporters in home sections of the stadium.

Now, speaking to reporters after Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday night, manager Pep Guardiola admitted that he remains on the side of supporters when the subject of their protest over ticket prices was put to his attention.

“I am on the side of the people, I am a supporter of Man City as well. I don’t have to pay for tickets but I understand the feeling… Clubs are alive when they [the fans] disagree or agree on whatever, they can express, and the club will listen to arrive at an agreement,” Guardiola said.

He continued, “I’m not saying who am I to say it’s right or wrong; when I go to the theatre, the cinema, or a concert, I pay for a ticket and I want to see something that I like – it’s the same. Of course, we want them – yes or yes – here.

“And a full stadium every time. But the club is open I’m pretty sure, because I know the club, and when they disagree on any subject, the club is always alive.”

Further action has been planned by groups ahead of the visit of Wolves to the Etihad Stadium in Premier League action early next month, with fan organisation ‘1894 Group’ among those urging supporters to stay on the concourse of the Etihad until the sixth minute of the game.

The importance of the sixth minute is due to the fact that it coincides with the number of years Manchester City have opted not to sell ‘new’ season tickets to supporters, in a situation that they believe will only get worse when the Etihad Stadium is further expanded.

A spokesperson for the 1894 Group told BBC Sport this week, “The empty seats for a big game last night tells its own story’. Sadly, it’s been a common theme all season. The root cause of all the issues at City is the overpricing.”

The comments continued, “The club doesn’t understand their own fanbase. Not just that but they’d rather try and manufacture fair-weather supporters than nurture the ones who traditionally made us one of the best supported clubs in the country for well over a century.”