CSKA Sofia protest over ticket price for UEFA Cup match

SOFIA, Aug 21 (Reuters) CSKA Sofia have protested to UEFA following Hajduk Kula's controversial decision to make only expensive tickets available to their supporters for Thursday's UEFA Cup match in Belgrade, the Bulgarian club said today.

CSKA will travel to the Serbian capital knowing their fans have to pay at least 60 euros (77.36 dollar) to enter the stadium for the second leg of the second qualifying round tie.

''We've sent a letter to UEFA adding all the recent correspondence between the two clubs,'' CSKA spokesman Atanas Karaivanov said. ''We made a complaint of Hajduc's violation of UEFA's fair play rule.

''We have the Bulgarian Football Union's full support and now we're expecting UEFA's reaction to this cynical decision. I can categorically say that no CSKA supporter will pay 60 euros for a match ticket.'' Hajduk fans had to pay only three euros to watch the first leg, a 0-0 draw, at CSKA's Bulgarska Armija stadium on Aug. 10.

The return leg will be played at Red Star's stadium in Belgrade as the facilities at Hajduk's home ground in Kula are inadequate.

Some 1,500 CSKA fans are expected to travel.

''(Hajduk) offended our club...Their arrogance will provoke a large number of fans to make the trip to Serbia,'' said CSKA's fan club chairman Dimitar Angelov.

REUTERS SK BST0133