IAN WRIGHT says it is “scandalous” how much fans are expected to pay to watch football, with the Champions League final the latest event to disappear behind a paywall.

Two of Wright’s former clubs — Arsenal and Crystal Palace — are playing in European finals before the end of the month, but anyone in Britain wishing to watch the Gunners’ match against Paris St Germain on May 30 or Palace’s encounter with Rayo Vallecano on May 27 will require a subscription for TNT Sports or HBO Max.

Every other Champions League final in the competition’s 34-year history, prior to this one, has been made available free to air.

Wright, who is part of ITV’s pundit line-up for this summer’s World Cup, was initially asked about the price of tickets in that competition, which have been heavily criticised.

He believes that is part of a wider problem of supporters being priced out.

“I find it scandalous, what’s going on,” he said during a panel to unveil ITV’s World Cup on-screen and commentary team.

“What else is going behind the [pay]wall? Whether it’s the Europa League, Champions League, the FA Cup, this is where football’s going.

“In America, it’s the tickets, it’s the accommodation, it’s the travel, everything’s gone extortionate. It’s ridiculous. What’s happening? This is a rich man’s game.

“If I was eight-year-old Ian Wright, who watched my first World Cup in 1970 free to air, I don’t know where I’d get football from.

“It shouldn’t be ignored simply because the games start, and we’re all enthralled in the games. This is something that should be taken up, because the normal man who says, ‘I want to go to the World Cup’ — he’s got no chance.”

ITV presenter Laura Woods added: “This game that’s always been for all and a working man’s game, where you can literally just pick up a football and play, it is becoming elitist, and that’s the absolute opposite of what football has to be, and something that needs to be protected.”

Tom Greatrex, the chair of the Football Supporters’ Association, said: “For decades, supporters have enjoyed the pinnacle of club football free to air, so it’s a huge disappointment to many that TNT has taken that away.

“Previous rights-holders have streamed the final for free on YouTube. Why can’t TNT? Have they lost their login?”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Obviously the Prime Minister’s a football fan and I’m sure he would want as many people to be able to see a match of that type as possible.

“But obviously decisions of that nature are commercial decisions and it is one for the rights-holders to address.”

Asked whether Arsenal fan Starmer would be going to the final, the spokesman said: “We would set out PM travel in the usual way.”

TNT Sports has been contacted for comment.