Going to Montjuïc is a sad spectacle

BarcelonaBefore the Sunday's derby between Sant Andreu and EuropaBoth clubs promoted the match jokingly. "The Catalan derby with the most buzz," they said on social media with images of both sets of fans. They were right. In any Sant Andreu or Europa match, there's singing and cheering. Not at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

The conflict between the Entertainment Space and the Barça board is complex. As always, the truth gets lost amidst the proclamations of one side or the other. The case is more complicated than it seems, but the result is that Barça's stadium is getting sadder and sadder. Few people are cheering. Many of those who try to sing songs can't find companions to join them, basically because many are tourists who don't know how to sing in Catalan. Against Girona, The Mexican wave was created: you know, people stand up when it's time to give the impression of a wave. Few things are sadder than a wave in a stadium full of people who come to a sports venue like someone attending a birthday party or an amusement park. Apparently, it was started by young people making videos on social media, hoping to go viral. That's modern football, where visibility matters more than being part of a collective.

Hopefully, everything will be resolved and the cheerleading groups with positive attitudes, of which there are many, will be able to return. The cheerleading club also needs to self-criticize the mistakes made. And the board, too. The result is an increasingly sad stadium, turned into a huge money-making machine. People queuing up to see the players enter up close, paying more. People paying for their children to have their photo taken on the pitch. People paying for tickets. VIPA DJ and an atmosphere more suited to a festival than a match. Everything has become a business that attracts fewer and fewer members. Do you know what so many young people find at the Europa stadium or the Sant Andreu? Feeling part of a community where the priority isn't what you pay.

At Barça, what happens on the pitch is energizing. It's fantastic, but it's better not to look at what's happening in the stands. I hope the Camp Nou of the future has a soul. That it's not a giant amusement park. I'm not even asking for it to be like Germany, where they have packed stadiums with affordable prices and prioritize members over tourists. I'm just signing up for a balance. That the club can make money, but that it's noticeable. That Barça wins on the field, in the stands, and at the same time takes care of the economy. We don't want a Camp Nou turned into an NBA game. We want a stadium that generates money, but also connects with the history of the club and the people here. Comparisons hurt, especially with the Camp Nou of not so many years ago and other European stadiums.