Real Madrid and police crackdown on season ticket black market continues
Madrid authorities seized 63 season tickets before the Monaco match as part of ongoing efforts to combat illegal reselling at the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid and local police are tightening their grip on ticket touts as the battle against illegal season ticket reselling intensifies.
Monaco match seizures
The latest chapter in Madrid’s war on ticket touts saw police confiscate 63 season passes ahead of yesterday’s youth match between Álvaro Arbeloa’s team and Monaco. The operation was carried out by officers from the Chamartín district, where the iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium is located.
This follows a pattern of increased vigilance around high-profile fixtures, with authorities particularly focused on:
- Madrid derbies
- El Clásico matches
- Major Champions League fixtures
Steep penalties for offenders
The club isn’t having a bubble - they’re dead serious about stamping out this practice. Madrid have been ramping up punishments for season ticket holders caught reselling their passes, with offenders now risking the complete loss of their club membership privileges.
El Clásico crackdown
The scale of the problem became evident during the last Clásico, when a special police operation around the Bernabéu resulted in:
- 281 season tickets confiscated
- 20 formal proceedings opened for illegal reselling
Eye-watering prices
The black market prices are absolutely taking the michael. According to police reports, resold tickets for El Clásico were changing hands for between €500 and €3,500. For yesterday’s Monaco match, touts were demanding between €200 and €2,000.
With the club and authorities continuing to collaborate closely, ticket touts at the Bernabéu are finding their dodgy business increasingly difficult to sustain.