Real Madrid's UCL win marred by fans' ticket scam and hoax

Real Madrid secured their 15th Champions League title with a dramatic 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund; thanks to late goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius.

The match at Wembley saw Los Blancos struggle for much of the game. In addition, Dortmund missed several key opportunities to take the lead.

Real Madrid were not at their best for the majority of the match, with Borussia Dortmund creating numerous chances, especially in the first half. Karim Adeyemi was particularly wasteful, missing a golden opportunity after rounding Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois but failing to score.

Nicklas Fullkrug also struck the post, highlighting Dortmund’s dominance in creating chances.

Despite holding a significant portion of possession, Madrid found it difficult to penetrate the Germans’ defense and create clear-cut opportunities.

The game seemed destined for extra time until Carvajal broke the deadlock with 15 minutes remaining. Rising highest to meet a Toni Kroos corner, Carvajal headed the ball into the far post. Thus, he gave giving Madrid an unexpected lead.

To make matters worse for Borussia, Vinicius sealed the victory for his side seven minutes later. He capitalized on a defensive error by Ian Maatsen to chip the ball over Dortmund’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. The Brazilian’s goal ensured that Madrid lifted the trophy, with manager Carlo Ancelotti celebrating his fifth Champions League title as a coach.

Champions League crowd vulnerable to various frauds

However off-field issues, particularly concerning scams that left hundreds of fans stranded and defrauded, marred Real Madrid‘s triumph. Reports indicated a significant increase in ticket scams, highlighting the need for greater vigilance and security measures for future high-demand events.

The Financial Times say that experts have cautioned fans to be on the lookout for ticket scams. Con artists try to cash in on the insane demand for tickets to events like the Champions League final and the European Championship.

This weekend’s match at Wembley was just one example of a high-anticipation match that might fall victim to purchasing scams. These scams occur when fraudsters attempt to sell tickets for events that have already sold out.

Nearly half of the victims targeted were between the ages of 19 and 34, and reports of football-related ticket frauds to Santander increased by 82% last year, according to the high street bank. Soccer fans who had their money in the lender’s account lost $144,000 in ticket frauds last year. Worse still, the figure might go up to over $255,000 this year, according to the report.

Real Madrid fans stuck at airport

In a similar vein, some Real Madrid supporters have been duped into missing the Champions League final. For Saturday’s final, 270 fans were supposed to board a chartered plane from Madrid-Barajas Airport to London.

According to AS, a Spanish daily, the fans were made to believe that the flight had been canceled because of a “maintenance problem”. However, they subsequently found out that they had been scammed. When they got to the airport, some of the fans found that their tickets weren’t valid, so they couldn’t go to London.

Using a travel agency, Real Madrid supporters’ group Capote y Montera allegedly booked the trip and paid $1185. Early Saturday morning, the plane was scheduled to touch down at East Midlands Airport, and then a bus would whisk them to Wembley.

The president of Capote y Montera, Nabil Alturek Arnaiz, clarified the matter. While addressing Relevo, he stated: “They notified us yesterday, around five in the afternoon, that the plane could not fly due to a maintenance problem. They have not given us more details.

“I have not slept a wink all night. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. It’s been horrible. My agency has been ruined and this is going to hurt me a lot.”

Photo credit: IMAGO / Action Plus