Ticket-scalping operation, biggest in Europe dismantled by Porto as ringleaders earned tens of thousands of euros a game.
Porto dismantle one of biggest ticket-scalping networks uncovered in football.
By taking back hundreds of seats at its Estádio do Dragão that had been used illegally for profit on the resale market, Porto has taken down one of the biggest ticket-scalping networks discovered in sport. Tens of thousands of euros a match were being made by the operation’s ringleaders.
In order to register them as club members and buy season tickets in their names, Porto said that one alleged ringleader had persuaded hundreds of people to give up personal information.
“These schemes reached an impressive scale, with dozens of seats controlled by a single individual,” the club said in a statement to the Guardian. “We also identified businesses processing hundreds of transactions, serving as fronts for this unlawful activity.”
Tourists were the primary targets and, according to the club, some tickets sold for as much as €800 (£695). Hundreds of seats have been identified and returned to Porto’s control but the investigation is ongoing and the tally could rise.
“We also detected fake tickets being sold at inflated prices,” the club said. “Unfortunately, in those cases, there is little we can do beyond advising fans not to buy from unofficial channels.”
At Porto, ticket scalping has been a regular occurrence for many years. Transactions involving the club’s ultras routinely happened in broad sight prior to games until André Villas-Boas was elected president last year. According to reports, the club gave thousands of tickets to Super Dragões, the primary fans’ group, at a discount, which they then sold for a profit throughout the stadium.
The former manager of Chelsea and Tottenham, Villas-Boas, pledged to bring back openness and empower ordinary supporters. In order to reward loyalty, the club implemented a totally online ticketing system and terminated the ultras’ privileges.
The ringleaders and their accomplices will have to answer not only to the authorities but also to Porto. The club are weighing disciplinary measures that could lead to their permanent expulsion from membership.