Bayern Munich fans have hit out at UEFA over claims they were denied access to their club's 1-0 Champions League win at CSKA Moscow but saw most of the 300 tickets allocated for sponsors go to supporters of the home side.
UEFA handed CSKA Moscow a full stadium closure for their first Champions League home match of the season due to their fans' misbehaviour in their match at Viktoria Plzen last December.
Despite protests from Bayern fans who -- unaware of the stadium ban -- booked flights to Moscow, UEFA decided to go through with the match being played behind closed doors at the 18,000-capacity Arena Khimki.
This week, around 70 Bayern fans travelled to Moscow regardless of the stadium ban, and all of them got to see the match. Some of them made it into the stadium, but the majority of the fans followed the match from the 18th floor of a nearby office building.
Baut mehr Hochhäuser neben Fußballstadien! Viele Grüße von nebenan ;) @Sky_Kai #CSKAFCB pic.twitter.com/9ijvZWdgzP
- Club Nr. 12 (@clubnr12) September 30, 2014
On their Facebook page, Bayern's biggest fan association, the Club Nr.12, thanked "one very special Bayern fan", who travelled to Moscow on Sunday in order "to arrange the certainly pretty unusual deal."
They also thanked Bayern, who had not only supported the fans before their journey to Russia, but also announced they would "reimburse the significant costs" for renting the office.
However, Club Nr.12 also published questions directed at UEFA, who granted their sponsors around 300 tickets for the match.
"Why is it unthinkable that 70 fans making the journey can attend the match, while at the same time some 300 tickets go to sponsors," they asked, and claimed with their next question that the "majority of the sponsor tickets were passed on to CSKA fans, who -- unlike the Bayern fans -- had the chance to support their team."
Meanwhile, Bayern officials also bemoaned the strange atmosphere inside the Arena Khimki.
"It was odd with no fans in the stadium," coach Pep Guardiola said on Sky. "It's always better if the fans are there.
"Football is there for the people. I hope that what happened never happens again."
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added: "It was strange because there was no atmosphere and no emotion. I've been in football 40 years and I've never experienced anything like it -- and I hope I never experience it again."
Attacker Thomas Muller, who scored the only goal of the night with a first-half penalty, told Sky that in the end they "need to accept" the stadium ban, because "there are reasons for it."
He added: "Football is also a sport for fans and spectators. We are part of the entertainment industry."