In the latest sign of fan discontent at AC Milan, the club have reportedly sold a record low 10,000 season tickets prior to the start of the new Serie A season.
Having seen a marked decline in the quality of their playing squad since they last won the title in 2011, supporters of the Rossoneri have been increasingly vocal about their unhappiness in recent seasons. The 2015/16 campaign was characterised by low attendances, empty seats at the San Siro and fan protests, while the team missed out on European football after finishing a lowly seventh.
Videos by VICE
Now, Corriere Dello Sport reports that the seven-time European Cup winners have sold around 10,000 season tickets ahead of the start of the 2016/17 season. While fans are still likely to turn up in large numbers for Milan’s bigger fixtures, the paucity of season ticket holders could see low-profile matches attract meagre crowds.
The San Siro has a capacity of 80,018, which puts the number of season tickets sold into perspective. That perspective sharpens somewhat when one considers that Crystal Palace had sold 10,000 season tickets for their 26,000 capacity stadium as of early July.
AC Milan are not the only club to suffer from poor attendances in Serie A, however. Italian crowds have been in decline for years, with the average attendance for last season a mere 22,199.
