What kind of Spotify Camp Nou do we want?
BarcelonaA few months ago, I was talking to an American who had fallen in love with European football and was visiting Catalonia. "Why don't you cheer?" he asked, comparing it to English football. It's true, in Catalonia there's less enthusiasm than in other places. "I don't go to the stadium to sing," I replied. "I go to suffer."
Some cheer, and others suffer. Some love their team without saying a word throughout the entire match, others wave flags and join in the chants. It's all valid. Now that we're back at Spotify Camp NouThere's a fear that it will be a beautiful, modern stadium, but cold. With more tourists than members, more selfies.What an atmosphere.
It's an important debate. Víctor Font senses it and is waving scarves like he's a member of the supporters' section. Laporta senses it will be a key issue, although I can understand the president when the board admits a certain disappointment with the members who didn't want to go to Montjuïc. The loyal fans who didn't miss out deserve a monument. But many have shown indifference, which has opened the door to more tourism. The club must find a way to make money, but it also can't forget that Barça is a large community and a Catalan club.
I've already lost hope of recovering that Camp Nou of the 90s where all the accents of Catalonia mingled. Where friendships and love were born with the families with whom you shared a seat for decades. In what grandstanders They didn't cheer, except when Figo came back. And even then, the youngsters really went all out. It's not about having the stadium with the best atmosphere on the planet. We'll never be Anfield, La Bombonera, or Celtic Park. And that's fine.
It's about valuing who we are. In our country, many people, like those who advocate for a dedicated supporters' section, want a vibrant stadium, with chants and passion, to compensate for those of us who go to stadiums suffering. Sanity and passion. That's who we are. We shouldn't try to be something we're not, as we saw these past few days with the NFL game in Madrid, where many people were saying that European football should have more female cheerleaders, seats with space to hold a drink, and fast food,and one kiss camWhat nonsense. This is American culture.And it's perfect for them.
Our football shouldn't try to imitate others just to make money. We need a vibrant Camp Nou, with a supporters' section, with lifelong members, and with space for tourists, but without them being the majority. I think it's an important debate: what kind of Camp Nou do we want? I believe the answers are right here at home. We must be who we are, proudly. Without selling the stadium for a pittance.
Some clubs, as seen in Vigo and Bilbao, have incorporated elements of Galician and Basque culture into their pre-match rituals. Bagpipes and traditional Basque instruments. The new stadium should be open to everyone, but it must be the home of a Catalan club and its members, even if they can sometimes be difficult and don't want to cheer.