UEFA has apologised for a technical error over Euro 2020 tickets that has left fans reasonable amounts out of pocket. A new batch of tickets for this summer’s tournament was made available on Wednesday for fans unsuccessful in the initial ballots. Fans who thought they had secured tickets then also bought flights and accommodation – but received an email hours later from European football’s governing body to say the transactions had been cancelled.

“Tickets became available due to the failure of supporters to pay on time for tickets they had previously ordered. These tickets were subsequently sold,” said a statement. “However, due to a technical error, for a short period of time a small number of tickets which were not for sale were made available for purchase. “Fans who purchased those tickets received a cancellation email and no charge was made to their credit cards,” added UEFA, which says ‘a couple of hundred’ fans in England were affected.