Research
The black market is its last way out: a BR reportage accompanied fans in the ticket search at the DFB Cup and Champions League final 2025. While the dealers make profit, fans take high risks for the dream of a ticket.
Munich, May 31, 2025. Final of the UEFA Champions League. The duel of the two best clubs in Europe. Paris Saint-Germain against Inter Milan. Inter-Fan Marco and his friends traveled to Munich from Romania.
Price explosion: fans pay 30,000 euros for CL final tickets
The demand for tickets is huge. You only got your tickets on a second market ticket exchange on the Internet: “We bought four tickets for 30,000 euros,” says Marco. The original prices of regular tickets vary between 70 and 950 euros depending on the seat. Marco, on the other hand, paid 7,500 euros for a ticket.
But now he has to go to the ticket center in front of the stadium. “We don’t get the QR code.” No QR code, no ticket – so no admission. And the kick -off is in two hours.
Black market: Last hope for football fans?
BR24SPORT accompanied the ticket black market in football fans at the DFB Cup and Champions League final 2025 for a report.
Since the demand for the final games exceeds the offer significantly, for many fans the second market is often the last opportunity to see their club in the stadium.
Experts estimate that 30 to 50 percent of all tickets end up on the second market at highlight games such as the Champions League or the DFB Cup final.
Federal government Against usury prices: new regulations planned
A problem that the federal government is now concerned with. In the coalition agreement, she announces that she wants to regulate sports and cultural events more. The following three points are mentioned as examples: There should be price upper limits on second market platforms as well as more transparency over the original price and the seller.
In addition, platforms should have to delete incorrect information. On the BR request, the Federal Ministry of Justice writes: “We are currently examining how best to implement these requirements.”
Law firm hunts Black market seller
For the Champions League final and the DFB Cup final 2025, there were numerous offers for tickets online on the second market, often for a multiple of the original price.
Markus Bohner sits in an office in Munich. He looks concentrated on the screen. He scans the offers on sales platforms and writes them down. Because he chases the seller.
Markus Bohner works at the Lentze Stopper law firm in Munich. The DFB has commissioned them to proceed against ticket sales sales.
Why some fans unintentionally support the black market
The resale of tickets is not clearly regulated in Germany and is not a criminal offense. Organizers such as the UEFA or the DFB therefore regulate the sales sales sales themselves to curb the black market. You do this about your general ticket conditions (ATGB).
The German Football Association (DFB), for example, prohibits a commercial and commercial resale of tickets in the ATGB. Only a private transfer is allowed.
Ticket may be resold in exceptional cases
That means: If you cannot go to the game, for example because of illness, you can pass the ticket to friends and acquaintances and open a maximum of ten percent on the original price. The DFB prohibits a sale for more money or on platforms such as eBay, classified ads or Viagogo.
In order for these rules to be observed, the DFB has commissioned the law firm in Munich to proceed against ticket sales sales. Tickets that Markus Bohner discovered on such platforms and which the DFB can assign to a first buyer are blocked and invalid.
And ultimately, this means that people with such a ticket is refused to access the stadium. Ticket forwarder sellers are warned by the law firm. Even if the tickets are sold online for the original price.
Dealers buy cheap and sell expensive
“It may always be that this ticket, which is currently being sold on Ebay or classified ads at the original price, will be sold for 3,000 euros in two weeks,” says Markus Bohner from Lentze stopper. According to the law firm, professional dealers buy tickets online and sell them more expensive. Even those who sell their ticket at the original price can support the black market in this way – and deliver tickets unwanted.
Slip holes in ticket sales: dealers use gaps
But there are other ways of how professional traders could get cards. After research by BR24Sport, there was probably loopholes when selling the DFB for the 2025 cup final.
Actually, the number of tickets was limited to four cards. On the social network X, fans write that it was possible to avoid this limitation. One of these fans spoke to BR24sport.
According to him, after ordering four cards, he was not automatically logged out of the ticket shop as intended. He could order tickets again without having to hire himself in the queue. He ordered 16 cards as a whole. BR24SPORT is the accounting and payment confirmations of the bookings.
DFB: “Abuse can never be completely excluded”
The DFB writes on request: “Despite extensive security mechanisms, abuse of individual vulnerabilities in the digital environment can unfortunately never be completely excluded”, and adds: “For this year’s DFB Cup final, around 150 such multiple bookings have been determined and consistently canceled.”
But the fan with which BR24Sport could speak came to the stadium with all 16 cards. His cards were apparently not canceled. If he slipped through the DFB, could retailers get through with it?
Back to Inter-Fan Marco and his friends. You bought four tickets on the second market for the 2025 Champions League final in Munich-for 30,000 euros. In the meantime it is only 30 minutes to kick -off – and you still don’t have the QR code and therefore the ticket. Do you miss your club’s biggest game?
That is the European perspective at BR24.
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Source: BR24Sport 27.07.2025 – 6:00 p.m.
