German 1.Bundesliga football club Schalke 04 has terminated its partnership with secondary ticketing company Viagogo amid claims of multiple contract breaches.
In December, Viagogo further enhanced its 1.Bundesliga portfolio by signing up Schalke as its 10th partner from the German top division.
Under the agreement, Viagogo became Schalke’s official ticketing partner from July 1. Along with allowing Schalke season ticket holders the opportunity to sell tickets to games they could not attend at the Veltins Arena, the club stated that Viagogo would also be permitted to sell a small number of tickets for certain home games.
Viagogo also acquired a sponsorship package with the club, but the partnership proved unpopular with fans who staged protests against the deal at Schalke’s annual general meeting last month.
Despite several requests, Schalke said Viagogo “failed to abide” by the terms of the contract from the outset leading to its immediate termination.
Schalke’s supervisory board chairman, Clemens Tönnies, said: “Contracts are there to be honoured – that always applies to both contracting parties. Through their conduct Viagogo have shown that they lack the will to do so. At the annual general meeting I said that we would keep a very close watch on whether the agreed set of rules was being met. We are now drawing the consequences and terminating the contractual relationship.”