Goal 1957: a crowd that doesn't like

BarcelonaBe a member, be up to date with your payments, be between 18 and 25 years old, have been on the waiting list for a Camp Nou season ticket for at least five years, have not committed any crimes, have not been subject to disciplinary action or sanction by Barça, pass a screening by the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), and commit to attending at least 80% of matches. These are the requirements to secure one of the 1,247 seats for Gol 1957, the new entertainment stand that will be launched when the Barça stadium reopens. The initiative was presented to the public during the Assembly of Delegates. But while Joan Laporta's board spoke with hope, among the groups that formed part of the former Entertainment Space (EDA), the feelings are diametrically opposed: they reject the project and predict that it is doomed to failure.

For now, only the outlines are known, and many unanswered questions remain. For example, knowing when it will be launched, since the construction work on the area where the 1957 Goal will be installed—in the lower part of the south goal—is not yet complete. Furthermore, the entire process of selecting the young people who will be part of it is necessary. This the company Tarea Proyectos will be in charge, as explained by AHORA. Although the hiring is not yet official, it has already generated controversy among former members of the EDA. "You have to know Barça's membership. If the matter is outsourced and it turns out someone isn't from Barça and you pay them to take care of the animation, it's very likely that it won't work out at first," says Albert Yarza, a member of the Almogávares. He is one of the few who agreed to give his name. Most prefer to remain anonymous, including the club sources consulted.

Barça and EDA, a long-standing conflict

The conflict between Barça and the EDA came to light a year ago, although it had been dragging on for a long time. Some say it began with the elections won by Laporta in 2021. Others say it began with the move to Montjuïc. The club had long warned the groups—Almogàvers, Nostra Enseña, Supporters Barça, and Front 532—that the string of insults and other offensive chants emanating from the area had to be stopped at the root. They ignored them. However, a space was made for them at Montjuïc and their season tickets were renewed. However, according to ARA, the board had already made the decision to modify the EDA at least two summers ago. "We wanted something exciting at the new Camp Nou, but not that kind of excitement. We were clear that with the reopening, we had to find a different model and other dynamics," club sources explain. But the files kept piling up, and in November 2024, the club forced them to pay the €21,000 fine corresponding to the sanctions for misconduct. The groups requested a meeting, but Barça dug in its heels and cut off the dialogue. Either they paid, or nothing. Until it was closed. sine die the space. Today, the positions are irreconcilable and, taking into account the requirements proposed by the board, it is easy to foresee that none of the fans who were part of the EDA will be in the new cheering area.

The members of the now-defunct cheering section admit that reprehensible individual behavior has occurred. Although to enter the EDA it was necessary to pass the Mossos d'Esquadra screening, they maintain that at Lluís Companys the security levels are lower than at the Camp Nou and that this generated a certain feeling of impunity. Even so, they believe that an entire group cannot be blamed for this and that "the logical thing would have been to identify and expel the specific person, not everyone." Therefore, the EDA is inclined to think that it is a political decision. "As we are a space created by Bartomeu, they consider that we are not one of their own and they do not want an organized group that they do not control," say sources from the fans. "We had already heard bells ringing, that they wanted to throw us out. The cries of "Barça yes, Laporta no" were produced precisely because of that. And it was the straw that broke the camel's back. A thesis that Barça flatly denies: it maintains that the cries against the president "have nothing to do with it" and refers "to the violent behavior."

Barça created Gol 1957 after a participatory process among the social masses

A few months ago, the club launched a participatory process, with surveys and working meetings, to determine what the stadium entertainment would be like. Some 3,000 members signed up. Vice President Elena Fort assured the Assembly that the results showed "resounding support for promoting entertainment in the stadium" and that the space should be "recognizable and promote the club's values and Catalan identity." However, the EDA criticizes the process: they describe the survey as "biased" and say that in the in-person meetings, many members advocated for the old format to be restored, but that their requests are not reflected in the conclusions.

"They wanted to kill two birds with one stone. Throw us out and, at the same time, please the young people on the waiting list for season tickets," criticizes another member. "Being young is not synonymous with anything. You can be 20 years old and older." tribune than those who sit in the box." The club believes that all these accusations are untrue and assures that they have found a way for the youngest players - and therefore those with fewer economic resources - to be able to enter the stadium regularly. However, another member of the former EDA disagrees with this point and assures that these young people "queue in their temporary queue" and predicts that "it is a forced situation that cannot work."

"We have been given a lie that is not true. There has been no willingness to dialogue. If it had been done, it would have shown that we are neither violent nor bad ones"The situation could have been perfectly resolved," says Albert Yarza. Now, however, it's too late.