A group of young Macedonian IT enthusiasts has created an online platform to offer free accommodation during the UEFA Super Cup match that will be held on August 8 in Skopje after hotels and restaurants hiked their prices.
Tens of thousands of Real Madrid and Manchester United fans from Spain, England and other parts of Europe are expected to pour into Skopje for the match to be held at the Filip II arena. However, according to some international media reports and social networks, hotels and restaurants in the Macedonian capital have been increasing prices dramatically to profit from the first such big sporting event to be held in Skopje.
In response, many Skopje citizens decided to offer free rooms to the fans who had already bought tickets for the match.
Meanwhile, a group of young IT and marketing professionals united in the We Talk IT Community to create a platform to enable Manchester United and Real Madrid fans to connect with people who offer free accommodation at the supercupskopje.com site.
“Residents from Macedonia post their hostings and offer you their warm home and a bed for you or your friends. This way, you can spend all your money on something more valuable, like beer,” WeTalkIT Community said on its website.
One of the Macedonian citizens who decided to offer a free twin bed room outside Skopje via the platform said “I’m a Liverpool fan, but it’s not a problem”.
Global Voices reported on July 27 that prices for accommodation in Skopje between August 7-9 range from €500 to as much as €3,500, which is far higher than regular prices.
Some of the fans from Spain and England announced they will look for accommodation in other cities in Macedonia or neighbouring countries and travel to Skopje only for the match to avoid paying for expensive rooms.
Anita Kirkovska, a member of the We Talk IT community, was cited by Global Voices as saying that a few hours after the launch, the platform went viral and by the end of the first day their server crashed.
Other citizens are considering making some extra cash by vacating their apartments for a day or two and renting them to fans.
A Skopje citizen told bne IntelliNews that he plans to offer a room for €50 per person per night.
One restaurant and bar owner, located one kilometre from the stadium told bne IntelliNews that he will keep his prices the same, but he justified the price hikes by hotels and catering services, saying the same practice is employed elsewhere in the world when such big events are taking place.
Sales of tickets on the black market is another problem. To avoid this, the Macedonian parliament unanimously endorsed amendments to the Criminal Code on July 28, setting sanctions for forgery and illegal sale of tickets for the Real Madrid-Manchester United match. The law was adopted in a short procedure.
"The amendments were aimed at complying with the rules for successful organisation of this event, and to prevent forgery and illegal sale of tickets, which so far has not yet been legally regulated,” one of the signatories of the proposal, Tomislav Tuntev, was cited by news agency Makfax.
Filip II is a redevelopment of the former national arena, the Gradski Stadion. The reconstruction of the stadium was completed in 2013, when the arena was also adapted to hold concerts including the likes of Pink and Carlos Santana.
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