Spain: sanctioned by LaLiga for low attendance, Celta de Vigo reduces its ticket rates

RC Celta de Vigo (LaLiga Santander) has decided to lower its entrance fees to the Estadio Municipal de Balaídos (29,000 seats), ahead of the home game against Getafe CF (1-1, reported attendance of 14,700) on Thursday 21/09/2017, kick-off at 21:00 (Matchday 5 of LaLiga Santander). This decision was due to the low attendance at the stadium for the first two home matches and, particularly, by the insufficient fill rate of the camera-facing grandstand ("Tribuna Alta y Baja"), which led LaLiga to impose a fine on Celta de Vigo, said the Spanish daily Marca on 19/09/2017.

The rules of the Spanish League (see below), adopted by all clubs of the LaLiga Santander, force them, under penalty of a fine, to fill the stand facing the television camera by at least 75%, starting from the 2016-17 season. The objective of this regulation is to enhance the image of the Spanish championship throughout the world.

In the home games against Real Sociedad (2-3, Matchday 1) and Deportivo Alavés (1-0, Matchday 3), Celta de Vigo had crowds of 16,207 (56% fill rate) and 16,133 (57% fill rate), with the fill…