Chelsea grants Ajax only 833 tickets for Champions League clash in Stamford Bridge

AFC Ajax supporters have some bad news this Champions League season. To avoid any brutal disturbances by fans, Chelsea FC handed over only 833 tickets to the Dutch club for the latter's away Champions League fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Until last season, the Blues offered around 3,000 stadium passes to the visitors for any big Champions League or other European tournament match. However, this year, the number is compromised. The official Ajax website confirmed that the London officials have allocated only 833 tickets to the Eredivisie champions for their Champion League tie, to be held on November 5, 2019.

It was reported that the English side was reluctant to offer any tickets at all for the visiting supporters. However, they changed their mind and are now committed to provide minimum tickets in the Shed End for visitors to catch the match live.

According to the Sun, the recent violence caused by visiting fans has played a key role in Chelsea's controversial decision of minimising ticket access. A few months ago, visiting Ajax supporters have been at the centre of controversy. They were involved in multiple incidents of violence including fan clashes across Europe and especially inside Great Britain. The original intention of the Blues was not to allow Ajax supporters to enter Great Britain. The best compromise they could offer is to prove a meagre ticket allocation.

The last time that the Dutch side visited London was in April earlier this year, when they faced Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. Before the match, tension among the fans from both the sides came to a head. Things were worse after the match, as CCTV footage revealed a massive clash.

9 people were arrested and 3 police officers were severely injured as a result of the violence. Some of the visiting supporters were even jailed. One of the Ajax fans suffered life-threatening injuries, which made things much more serious.

Ajax supporters have been a part of multiple clashes last summer. In Athens, they were involved in a fight with the Greek police during their club's group stage match against AEK Athens FC. Things took a turn for the worse when the Greek fans exploded a petrol bomb right in the stands of the Athens Olympic Stadium.