A Chelsea director has defended the club’s decision to hike ticket prices for Jose Mourinho’s Stamford Bridge return by arguing ‘we need revenue to compete’ after facing a huge amount of backlash from supporters. 

The Blues announced their decision to class their Champions League clash against Benfica as a Category AA fixture on Tuesday, just one week before the fixture. 

It means fans will have to fork out £83 for adult general admission tickets, while there will also be a reduced amount of junior and senior concession tickets on sale. 

Daniel Finkelstein, a club director, has now taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to defend the board’s controversial decision.

He argued ‘the club needs revenue to compete’ despite Chelsea paying Raheem Sterling, exiled from Enzo Maresca’s squad, £300,000-a-week and failing to secure a kit sponsor for a second consecutive year.

Chelsea have announced that their fixture against Benfica next week will be classed as a Category AA match, meaning general admission adult tickets will cost up to £83

The fixture will see Jose Mourinho return to Stamford Bridge with his new club

‘That’s why it’s important to stress that any money raised by Chelsea is spent on Chelsea,’ his post added, ‘that’s the point of that statement (announcing the increase in prices)’. 

A host of fans hit-back at Finkelstein’s reasoning, commenting on his post: ‘Do the math on ticket prices it does nothing to help Chelsea compete. 3 yrs you’ve not had a shirt sponsor at £60m that’s £180m down the drain that’s what they need to compete revenue wise not the extra £2m hard working fans contribute. Sterling earns that in three months.’

‘An extra £20 per ticket is not the difference between Chelsea competing with revenue or not. Why are supporters having to penny pinch to watch the club they identify with and love when the club have wasted money for years that will actually help us compete?,’ another asked. 

Once again highlighting the club’s strange lack of shirt sponsor, one fan replied: ‘We’re appalling at attracting sponsors though. And I’d think a front of shirt sponsor would raise a good deal more than finding opportunities to chisel existing fans. Unless it’s part of a wider (unspoken) strategy to turn to churn fans in order to raise revenue generated per attendee.’

It was a sentiment echoed by a host of frustrated supporters. Another wrote: ‘If you need revenue to compete, why do we still not have a sponsor?! The owners want tourists in who pay a lot for a ticker and spend double/ tripe that in the shop too. It’s quite clear and loads of regulars feel that way. The way they run the club is a shambles.’

Following the earlier announcement, one supporter left in disbelief described the increase as ‘shocking’.

‘I am absolutely fuming. And I’m not just fuming because it’s a Chelsea thing. It’s a football thing,’ David Johnstone told The Telegraph. 

‘These people running football now are absolutely killing it. I haven’t got a problem if people want to pay £10,000 to sit in that dugout club. If they want champagne and bells and whistle, good luck to them. 

Daniel Finkelstein, a director at the club, has defended the decision to increase prices because Chelsea ‘need revenue to compete’

He made the claim in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which was met with backlash from Blues fans

Fans noted Chelsea are missing out on revenue due to a lack of shirt sponsor and are meanwhile continuing to pay Raheem Sterling £300-per-week

‘But don’t forget the majority of people who are struggling to pay electricity, gas bills, pay their mortgages, put food on the table, for whom football is the one release at the end of the day, at the end of the week.

‘I’ve got a 12-year-old kid – he’s 12 on Saturday – and I’m having to pay £50 for a ticket for him because I can’t get a kids’ one. In 10 years’ time, he isn’t going to be able to afford to go to a game. It’s shocking.’

He added: ‘They don’t want oiks like me who struggle to get £800 for a season ticket. We’re no good to them. Why’s the atmosphere so rubbish? Because they’re filling it up with tourists. 

‘They’d rather have those people paying £70, £80, £90 for an ordinary ticket and going and spending £300 in the megastore and coming once in their life.’ 

Chelsea previously announced a ticket bundle offer for their four Champions League home fixtures against Benfica, Ajax, Barcelona and Pafos. This was too met with criticism from fans fearing they may be moved from their usual seats.

Commenting on the hike in prices for Tuesday’s game, the Chelsea Supporters Trust said: ‘The Chelsea Supporters Trust is deeply concerned with the club’s handling of ticket sales for upcoming Uefa Champions League fixtures. Recent decisions have been marked by poor communication, unjustifiable price increases and a disregard for supporters.

Sterling has been exiled from Enzo Maresca’s squad and has no future at the club

The Blues are the only club in the Premier League this season without a shirt sponsor

‘The message is clear – stop exploiting our loyalty.’

While hiking ticket prices, Todd Boehly has assembled the most expensive squad in world football, new statistics revealed last week. 

Enzo Maresca’s squad is in fact the only one in Europe which cost north of £1billion to put together, though some the signings were made by previous owner Roman Abramovich. 

The additions of Enzo Fernandez (£105m), Moises Caicedo (£115m), Wesley Fofana (£70m) and Mykhailo Mudryk (£89m) cost the club a staggering £280m while recruits such as Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro only add to that sum. 

Last summer alone the Blues splashed out a whopping £212m on eleven new recruits.