Sivas charges record ticket fees for championship-deciding game

Fenerbahçe, which leads the standings only by virtue of a superior head-to-head record with second-placed Trabzonspor, faces a must-win situation in Sivas to avoid another tragedy of losing the championship in the final game of the season. The İstanbul team has devastated its fans twice in the past by losing the race in the very final match. Both Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor have 79 points each.

Taking advantage of the huge interest in the game, the Sivasspor administration decided to offer tickets at prices far higher than what it charged for past games throughout the 34-week league marathon. Minimum prices for the week 34 game will be TL 50 ($31), up from an average of TL 5. Spectators will have to pay TL 250 ($157) and TL 400 ($251) for better seats, offered at TL 10 and TL 15 in previous games.

Most of the 11,200 seats will be reserved for Fenerbahçe fans, who are to buy about 8,000 tickets. This is also a departure from Turkey's football traditions, which dictate fans of the guest team get only 5 percent of the seats.

Hotels in Sivas are also reportedly fully booked ahead of Saturday's game. The province's biggest hotel, the Büyük Hotel, has 114 rooms, 90 of which are reserved for Fenerbahçe players and other team members, according to the Anatolia news agency. Prices for a hotel room in Sivas range from TL 70 ($44) to TL 200 ($125).