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Turkish police detained nine suspects accused of selling tickets on the black market for the Champions League clash between Galatasaray and Barcelona in Istanbul.
Officers from the Istanbul Police Department’s Sports Security Branch launched an investigation after receiving information about illegal ticket sales ahead of Tuesday’s match at RAMS Park, Galatasaray's home ground.
All nine suspects were taken into custody and brought to police headquarters for processing. Authorities provided no further details about their identities or the next steps in the investigation.
The Galatasaray-Barcelona match is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 10:00 p.m. local time at RAMS Park in Istanbul, in the second round of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase.
Official ticket prices range from ₺2,800 ($56.75) to ₺75,000 ($1,520.16), with sales handled through Galatasaray’s designated channels and Passo, Türkiye’s ticketing platform for football matches and other live events. Tickets sold through the club’s official channels are listed as sold out.
Barcelona has arranged a separate ticketing process for its traveling supporters. Registered members of the club’s supporters’ clubs could apply for away tickets between Sept. 10 and Sept. 17. Tickets cost €50 ($56), with an additional €15 charge for organized transport to RAMS Park.
UEFA’s 2026-27 Champions League regulations require home clubs to make at least 5% of a stadium’s spectator capacity available to visiting supporters, with tickets priced at no more than €50. RAMS Park is listed as having a capacity of approximately 53,800, which would put 5% at roughly 2,690 seats.
Black-market ticket sales have prompted several investigations into ticket resales linked to Galatasaray matches in recent years. In October 2023, police detained a man suspected of selling tickets at inflated prices ahead of the club’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich.
The issue returned to the spotlight in 2024, when Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek filed a criminal complaint asking prosecutors to investigate claims that tickets for the club’s matches were being resold at high prices, potentially benefiting club officials, employees or third parties. The club also said it had commissioned an independent review of alleged irregularities and launched an internal investigation.
In December 2024, prosecutors decided not to pursue the broader case, which involved 23 suspects. According to the decision, investigators received 46 complaints and took statements from eight suspects but found insufficient concrete evidence to establish that club officials or employees had profited from black-market sales.
A separate investigation followed allegations of illegal ticket sales before Galatasaray’s Champions League match against Liverpool on Sept. 30, 2025. Police detained four suspects after reviewing security camera footage; one was remanded in custody while the other three were released.
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