GENEVA (AFP) - More than 50,000 people ordered tickets for Euro 2008 on the first day of sales, boosting demand to levels more than 10 times higher than the last European championship finals in 2004, organisers said Friday.
Some 53,978 applications have been received since the first batch of 330,000 tickets for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland next year went on sale on the internet mid-Thursday.
"That's 10 times more ticket applications than were received during the first day of ticket sales for UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal," said Martin Kallen, chief operating officer of the joint Swiss-Austrian organising firm Euro 2008 SA.
Several internet users reported trouble accessing the www.euro2008.com site to order tickets and the organisers admitted fans had to be patient.
The system was running smoothly late Thursday, Euro 2008 SA said.
Fans have one month to order tickets in the first batch and have been told not to rush because they will not be dealt with on a 'first come, first served basis'.
Tickets for over-subscribed matches will be allocated by a lottery after the March 31 deadline for orders. Each buyer is allowed a maximum of four tickets each.
Another 399,000 tickets are due to be made available to the public later through the national associations of the 16 teams that eventually qualify for the finals.
Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse.
Some 53,978 applications have been received since the first batch of 330,000 tickets for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland next year went on sale on the internet mid-Thursday.
"That's 10 times more ticket applications than were received during the first day of ticket sales for UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal," said Martin Kallen, chief operating officer of the joint Swiss-Austrian organising firm Euro 2008 SA.
Several internet users reported trouble accessing the www.euro2008.com site to order tickets and the organisers admitted fans had to be patient.
The system was running smoothly late Thursday, Euro 2008 SA said.
Fans have one month to order tickets in the first batch and have been told not to rush because they will not be dealt with on a 'first come, first served basis'.
Tickets for over-subscribed matches will be allocated by a lottery after the March 31 deadline for orders. Each buyer is allowed a maximum of four tickets each.
Another 399,000 tickets are due to be made available to the public later through the national associations of the 16 teams that eventually qualify for the finals.
Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse.