Another 10,000 season tickets for Barça members

A month and a half without matches is a godsend for the workers at Camp Nou. From December 13th, when Barça played Osasuna, until the weekend of January 25th, when Oviedo will visit, the renovation work has progressed very well. When fans return to the stadium, they will notice substantial changes. For example, in the third tier, the concrete slabs are rapidly taking shape and are expected to completely cover the steel structure by the end of February. But the most important change, and the one most desired by Joan Laporta's board, is in the north stand. Since the first official match was played on November 22nd, this area has remained empty because the club still lacks permission from the City Council to use it. The Espai Barça project managers believe this situation could change, precisely for the match against the Asturian side. "That's the intention, but we can't take it for granted yet," admit sources at the club, where, having learned their lesson, they play it safe whenever they talk about deadlines at Camp Nou. In any case, obtaining the 1c license (the last one in the first phase) shouldn't take long. The club applied for it before Christmas, and the city council responded by requesting additional documentation. "Nothing that hasn't happened in other phases," insist sources at the offices, where they are confident of resolving all the bureaucratic procedures after the holidays. They also explain that the reopening of the north stand—besides increasing capacity to 62,500 spectators—will be accompanied by new season tickets, which will go on sale to season ticket holders who are on leave and were left without a seat in November. Complaints from the fanbase regarding the distribution of season tickets and the price of individual tickets have surfaced.

Finding the right balance isn't easy, especially in an election year. On the one hand, there's the pressing need to fill a stadium under construction to stay within budget. On the other hand, there are complaints from the fanbase, who have made it known through various channels to the board that they disagreed with the allocation of stadium seats—currently, of the 45,501 available seats, 24,800 were reserved for season ticket holders, equivalent to 55% off the price of a single ticket—and with the high prices (ranging from €100 to €400, depending on the section). Of the 24,800 season tickets on sale, 21,186 were reserved for those who had supported the team during their exile at Montjuïc. Once Barça's return home was confirmed, the remaining 3,614 season tickets were distributed among season ticket holders who were on leave. But demand exceeded supply, and many fans were left without a ticket. With the reopening of the north stand, the club will give them a second chance. "There will be an increase in season tickets, but we don't yet know the final number," explain official club sources. In any case, and according to what this newspaper has learned, the intention is to increase the proportion to 60%.

If these numbers are confirmed, Barça will go from the current 24,800 season tickets to 37,500, an increase of 12,700 tickets that would be valid for the second half of the season, where the team must play a minimum of eleven matches – ten in La Liga and the final match of the season. The price will be around €300 per season ticket. Of these passes, 1,247 must be deducted for Gol 1957, the new fan zone that the club will launch – although there are still a few additional weeks to go because this young stand Let's get started.

The number of tickets the club allocates for sale will also increase by 4,300, going from 20,700 to 25,000 per match. This represents an additional revenue of approximately €500,000 on average per game, and a total of €8 million including season ticket holders and box office sales in the north stand. This figure could be higher if there were fewer season tickets and more direct sales, but the club offices are already considering it satisfactory.