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After defeating Hoffenheim 6-3 on aggregate, Liverpool were rewarded with a draw that, on paper, can only be called favorable. Not only should Liverpool be looking to advance out of the group consisting of Sevilla, Spartak Moscow, and Maribor, but possibly win it outright.
The bad news of such a draw, if such a statement can be made, is drawing last year’s Russian champs Spartak Moscow. The trip eastward will traverse three time zones and have the added headache of requiring a visa for entry. The visa issue in particular is an unusual one for supporters to deal with in at largely visa-free Europe.
Liverpool Football Club can’t do a great deal about the time zones, but they have decided to reimburse UK based fans for their visa costs.
“We looked at how we can help our fans with the £109 visa cost plus the £9.80 postage,” Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore said. “We made a decision that we can take care of covering those costs. Fans just need to get a receipt for their visa.”
“If every ticket is allocated, everyone gets a visa, everyone is UK based and everyone goes and can prove it, we’re looking at paying back around £250,000.”
Liverpool was allotted 2,200 tickets for the Moscow clash on September 26th. In order to qualify for reimbursement, the visa must be purchased from the Russian consulate in Manchester.