Laporta puts it in the hands of the members to prevent a new German invasion

BarcelonaThe most painful image of the 2022 Barça-Eintracht Frankfurt match wasn't Barça's elimination from the Europa League quarterfinals. It was the invasion of German fans at the Camp Nou. That April night, more than 30,000 supporters occupied the Barça stadium, which for the first time seemed to welcome away goals more than home ones. A flood of people, dressed in the white shirts of the Eagles, approaching the stadium escorted by the police, and the incidents that left Barça fans feeling outnumbered in their own home, were the subject of criticism for days on end.

Fate has brought Barça and Eintracht together again at the Camp Nou. This time, in the Champions League group stage. The match on Tuesday, December 9th, has been circled in red on the calendar for weeks, especially since it was confirmed that it could be played in the Les Corts district. It's not a do-or-die tie, and the Camp Nou can't yet offer its full capacity. But the precedent is still very recent, it's an election year, and nobody at the club wants to take any chances. To prevent something similar from happening again, President Joan Laporta and his team have decided to take drastic measures and impose restrictions on ticket purchases. Aside from season tickets, only Barça members will be able to buy them; they won't be available to the general public. "With this measure, the club gives absolute priority to its members, a fundamental pillar of the institution, and guarantees that the stadium becomes a space for celebration and support exclusively for Barça fans," Barça said in a statement, reminding everyone that tickets will be assigned to specific individuals and warning that security checks will be increased. The measure, understandable from a social and sporting perspective, represents a significant change in strategy from an economic standpoint. The return to Camp Nou, undertaken with the stadium still under construction and at less than 50% capacity, had forced the management team to implement a very aggressive sales policy to compensate for the shortfall in revenue. Aside from the 24,000 season ticket holders and the club's other commitments, the real business came from the more than 15,000 individual tickets that went on sale. Members have always had 24-hour priority access to purchase tickets, in addition to a discount. However, the prices were so high that most tickets ended up in the hands of tourists, willing to pay anything to see a match at the stadium, as was evident in the inaugural game against Athletic Club, with prices ranging from €199 to €589. In contrast, for the match against Eintracht Frankfurt, tickets are much more affordable, ranging from €59 to €199, with a 35% discount for members.

A window of opportunity for Eintracht fans to return to Camp Nou

But where there's a will, there's a way. There are two loopholes for Eintracht fans to access the stadium – beyond the area reserved for visiting fans. One is through merchandise. VIPwith preferred seating and a selection of canapés at halftime. In this case, there are no restrictions on the purchase. However, you'll have to dig deep into your pockets: between €750 and €1,500. The second option is resale. Suppressed by the club, but common in so many football stadiums.

Even before Barça put the tickets on sale, several websites were already offering them for purchase. Generally, these are people who have secured the tickets and are reselling them to make money. It could be anyone. However, considering that on this occasion only members – whether season ticket holders or those who have purchased a ticket – will be allowed access to the stadium, the responsibility will fall on them. "The success of this operation hinges on the responsibility of all ticket buyers. In this regard, any ticket found in the possession of an Eintracht Frankfurt supporter in the home section will be registered to identify the member involved in its purchase and subsequent sale to rival fans, as this jeopardizes the safety and well-being of the rest of Barcelona," the statement read.

It has been observed that ticket resale through these specialized websites has skyrocketed, and prices are multiplying. Barça's stance remains unchanged: to remain firm. Therefore, security controls will be reinforced at the point of sale, and especially at the entrance to Camp Nou. Thus, except in the away section, no one will be allowed in the stands wearing shirts or displaying symbols of the German team. The club, which will monitor sales patterns to detect any signs of fraudulent purchases and has coordinated with law enforcement to deter potential scalpers in the vicinity of the stadium, also warns that any suspected scalping will be referred to the club's disciplinary committee.