Hong Kong Sevens stands by under-fire Viagogo despite Fifa’s criminal complaint against the ticket reseller
Chief executive Robbie McRobbie says the HKRU and soccer’s governing body are operating in ‘entirely different environments’
Fifa this week joined other parties in pursuing legal action against Viagogo for its alleged “opaque and deceptive business conduct” as part of its crackdown on those selling unauthorised World Cup tickets at increased prices.
“Fifa’s ultimate objective in the fight against the secondary ticket market is to prioritise the safety and security of fans and enforce a fair 2018 Fifa World Cup ticketing pricing scheme,” soccer’s governing body said in statement.
According to HKRU chief executive Robbie McRobbie, Fifa’s issues with Viagogo do not apply to the Hong Kong Sevens.
“The relationship between Fifa and Viagogo and the HKRU and Viagogo is entirely different,” he said. “For the World Cup, Fifa are protecting their commercial rights and those of their agents by clamping down on the unauthorised secondary market in a territory where ticket scalping is an offence.
“In Hong Kong, ticket scalping at government venues is not an offence, which in the past has lead to significant problems with touting and the sale of counterfeit tickets, defrauding local consumers.