Galatasaray ran out 3-2 winners over Manchester United at Old Trafford (AMA/Getty)
Manchester United have issued an apology to supporters after Galatasaray fans made it into the home section at Old Trafford during their Champions League match this week.
Erik ten Hag’s side suffered their second defeat in Group A as Galatasaray came from behind on two occasions to secure a 3-2 victory.
United were faced with complaints from their own fans after the game as Galatasaray supporters were seen in several parts of the home sections during the match.
United had measures in place to stop non-United supporters from buying tickets for the home section, which includes a ban on ticket sales to anyone with a Turkish address.
However, United now admit that their system failed to detect that ‘tickets ‘the volume of tickets accessed by non-Turkish residents who transpired to be Galatasaray fans was unacceptable’.
In an email to supporters, United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche wrote: ‘Our system showed that these tickets were predominantly sold to long-standing official members who have attended other matches in recent seasons, with a large percentage being to those under the age 16, and therefore did not appear in pre-match checks to pose any risk.
‘In reality, those who turned up on the night were adult Galatasaray fans.
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‘Whilst this hasn’t presented issues in the last couple of decades, the volume of tickets accessed by non-Turkish residents who transpired to be Galatasaray fans was unacceptable.
‘I hope the above update gives you some reassurance that we take this matter seriously and are working with our fan representatives to avoid a potential repeat. I apologise to those affected and thank you as always for your continued support.’
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