This Saturday, five days before the reception of Fenerbahçe in the Europa League, and two days before the supposed opening of the general public ticket office, Stade Rennais sold around 15,000 tickets to its supporters, via Europe packs and priorities for subscribers and partners. That’s just over half the capacity of Roazhon Park. How to explain this relative enthusiasm, and in fact the possible massive arrival of supporters of the Turkish club in the stands of Rennes?
The sale of Europe packs before the draw: a risky bet
For the first time, Stade Rennais had decided this year to put 3-match packs for the Europa League on sale to its subscribers, even before the group draw. With an entry price slightly above €60 for Mordelles subscribers, i.e. just over €20 per match, and closer to €95 on average for the others. The entry price was €30 three years ago in the Europa League. About 8,500 packs have been purchased this season by the 15,000 subscribers from Rennes.
Bad luck, the Red and Blacks did not draw the most prestigious clubs from the Europa League. No Arsenal, AS Roma, Manchester or Betis Sevilla. And once the packs have been sold, it is impossible to charge lower prices than the average price per match of the pack to other spectators. Against Fenerbahçe, Dynamo kyiv and Larnaca, this is a problem. It is a bet lost by the club. But the price of the pack would undoubtedly have posed fewer problems, or even seemed attractive, if the Rouge et Noir had pulled the most upscale clubs in the competition into their pool.
At the club, we also remind you that the price increase is inevitable so that Stade Rennais remains in the nails of financial fair play, regardless of its shareholder. Without increasing revenue, it is difficult to extend and upgrade players like Martin Terrier or Benjamin Bourigeaud. Other reasons, such as Space, the match at 9 p.m. on weekdays which is always difficult for families with children, and the recent incidents in Nice are also mentioned to justify the relative enthusiasm for the Rennes-Fenerbahçe ticket office.
A reflection in progress for people with a ticketing account
To attract as many Rennes supporters as possible and prevent Roazhon Park from being in the colors of Fenerbahçe on Thursday, the club must therefore manage differently. A subscriber priority has already been launched, which allows them to buy around ten tickets to resell them to Rennes supporters who do not have a season ticket. On social networks, a legal “black market” has already been set up. But subscribers who take places must fend for themselves to find buyers. Good news, the club has been thinking for several weeks about creating a resale platform on its site, like what is done in Lens, Strasbourg or Paris, three clubs that have been playing almost all of their matches to sold-out crowds for several seasons. If this platform sees the light of day, it will allow more fluidity in the future for purchases/resales between supporters of the Rouge et Noir. But it won’t be in place by Thursday.
Another avenue still under consideration at the club: that of shifting the opening to the general public, scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m., and of opening the sale to non-subscribers holding a ticketing account and having already made one or more purchases since January 1. A solution that had been used successfully before the reception of OM at the end of last season. It will be necessary to act quickly as the reception of Fenerbahçe approaches.
Security: match classified at risk and “no man’s land” planned next to the visitor parking lot
Still, at the current rate of ticket sales, many Turkish fans could go to Roazhon Park. To ensure the safety of its supporters, Stade Rennais has already planned to create a “no man’s land” in the City of Rennes stand next to the visitor parking lot which will be filled (1350 places). A thousand places will thus not be put on sale at all to keep away visitors and Rennes supportersand avoid incidents like those that occurred in Nice last Thursday.
Incidents which have heightened the concern on the Stade Rennais side, after those which broke out at the Vélodrome with Galatasaray supporters last season, and those experienced by Bruno Genesio when OL received Besiktas in 2017. Thursday’s match was classified as risky by UEFA. A meeting is planned in the prefecture quickly to discuss the maintenance of public order on this meeting.