The classic tickets fly (even if they are at a gold price)

BarcelonaThe classic of last season was very special. The Barça-Madrid match was played again at the Camp Nou after two years of exile in Montjuïc and, furthermore, the blue and garnet team could be proclaimed League champion. With a stadium still at 60% of its capacity, and with a club in need of income to repay the Goldman Sachs credit, the board saw a golden opportunity to make money. Despite the criticism from some members and fans who considered the prices abusive, 16.3 million euros were finally raised. Quite a turnover record.

In this edition there are not as many incentives, because it is just in the first round, although the good streak of Barça and the sporting doubts at Real Madrid suggest that the fans will have a good time at the stadium. In any case, a classic is a classic and the ticket prices make it very clear. On Tuesday morning, exclusive sales for members opened. The cheapest tickets cost 299 euros. In a few minutes, they flew off. Once again, the prices generated controversy and a lot of noise on social media, even though the sales pace remained constant. By Wednesday afternoon, only the grandstand and lateral seats, the most premium areas, remained. The prices exceed 1,000 euros. If the pace is maintained, before the weekend they will hang the sold out sign.

Added to the standard tickets is the offer of VIP seats, which range from 2,450 at the Balcony (the first rows of the second tier) to 6,500 for the lateral Pitch Row (the first rows of the lateral, next to the grass). These are the seats that have the best view of the match and, above all, offer uninterrupted luxury catering from an hour and a half before the match until an hour after.

Controversy over a promise from Laporta that will be fulfilled later

The price range is very similar to that of the May Clásico. However, the protests have become more evident because Joan Laporta said during the election campaign that he promised a 50% discount for members on the purchase of tickets. In this Clásico, however, it is only 5% (315 at the original price, 299 with the discount). From Barça they argue that the president's promise remains in force, although they clarify that it will be applied once the Camp Nou works have been finished and the 105,000 available seats have been reached.

Furthermore, regarding the board, they point out that the season tickets are, proportionally, "among the lowest in Europe" with ranges going from 547 euros in the goal area to 1,442 in the main stand, which means a price per match that is around 20 euros for the cheapest season tickets and 53 for the most expensive ones. In addition, they recall that many season ticket holders decided to voluntarily sign up for a leave of absence, and they find it logical that if they now want to see a top-class match, they have to dig into their pockets. "Many members have preferred not to get a season ticket and only go to top-tier matches, such as the 'Clásico' or the big Champions League ones. And that must be paid for," they point out from the offices.

Making money with the stadium is key to meeting the budgets. Especially at a time when Barça has had to increase the credit with Goldman Sachs, going from the initial 1.5 billion to 1.8 billion. More money means more interest to pay, and at the club, there is a lot of urgency to generate income and meet payment deadlines without any scares. Furthermore, as was explained at the assembly, it is now the financial firm that keeps the first tranche of income generated by the Camp Nou. Once the amount is paid, which for this season is 67 million but will exceed 100 in the future, the rest remains in the club's coffers.

The pricing policy, unpopular but necessary for Barça

In the executive offices of the Camp Nou, they know that this pricing policy is unpopular, but they are not willing to give up this business model that they consider key to making the numbers add up. Furthermore, from Laporta's circle, they insist on the "moment of provisionality," and they remind that when the stadium is finished and there is room for 105,000 spectators, normality will be restored, there will no longer be excess season tickets, and the free seat system will also be recovered. But, in the meantime, they will have to make money somehow. Furthermore, from the economic area, they remind that the delays in the reopening of the Camp Nou have led to treasury problems, and that next season they will have to play between three and five months at Montjuïc while the roof installation is carried out. That is to say, during this period, revenues will fall again.

Thus, with the stadium finished, there will be many more happy members, because they will be able to return to the Camp Nou. And, at least in the short term, Barça has promised them that they will not raise the season ticket price beyond the CPI. In any case, they will have to continue doing business, because the goal is for the Camp Nou to generate, overall, more than 400 million in revenue per season. Therefore, this pricing policy for tickets sold at the box office will not back down. On the contrary, dynamic pricing will continue and it would not be surprising if they even end up rising.

The club prefers not to talk about revenue forecasts for this Clásico, although the sources consulted believe that it could reach 20 million. It would be a new turnover record. For the moment, they are on the way to achieving it.