Camp Nou once again sold out for women's Champions League match
Tickets sold out in just under 24 hours for home leg of the semi-final against Wolfsburg
BarcelonaThe Camp Nou will fill up again on April 22. After registering a new world record for attendance for the quarter-final match against Real Madrid Barça has decided to reopen the gates of the Camp Nou for the semi-final match against Wolsfburg on the eve of Sant Jordi. Tickets went on sale at midday on Monday and, in the first nine hours – with access only for members – 50,000 units were booked. This Tuesday tickets went on sale for all fans. The virtual queues were very long – up to 15,000 people.
The sale of tickets through Barça's website, however, has been difficult. The avalanche of demand has led the website to collapse and it was even disabled for much of Tuesday afternoon. Before that, Barça Seguiment FCB members' association had denounced on social media an increase in ticket prices. Tickets were meant to cost between €9 and €15 for the general public while they were free for members (plus management fees). Members have shown that in fact prices have risen to €31. The club has declined to comment on this issue.
The Club still has some tickets which, due to UEFA regulations, must be reserved for various groups, but these will be put on sale days before the match.
New record
Filling the Camp Nou seemed like a mirage for Jonatan Giráldez's players a few weeks ago. To be able to step on the turf where they have always seen their male counterparts play was a dream. Now it is them in the limelight. They have played at the Camp Nou twice and both times tickets sold out. More than 90,000 people have already bought their tickets for the first leg of the UWCL semi-finals, with the winners then heading for the final in Turin.
On their debut on the pitch at Camp Nou, just a week ago, 91,553 people filled the stands. Barça went into the game aiming to break the world record set at the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, with 90,185 fans. At the start of the match against Real Madrid, the stands appeared to be too empty due to the number of tickets withdrawn. The collapse at the gates of the Camp Nou and the difficulties of access meant it was not until well after halftime that it filled up. Barça wanted to wait to make the final count. Normally, attendance at matches is announced at half time, when the two teams return to the pitch to start the second half. In this case, however, they waited until fifteen minutes before the end of the match to make the figure public. Every fan counted, and it was necessary to achieve the stratospheric figure of 91,553 spectators. A new record was set, and this Friday 22nd there is a new opportunity to rewrite history.
