Crowds and the lack of support in Europe

Barca8

New member
There is also a few other things to take into consideration about Camp Nou (been inside twice, not yet for a match unfortunately)...

The acoustics are not the best because it is a very open bowl. Any very loud shouting, cheering, singing doesn't travel very well because of how airy the stadium is. If you notice at the very beginning when the club instructed ceremony takes place that is when it is it's loudest because everyone is making noise. During the matches when sections are singing or chanting it doesn't travel very well.

The other thing is FC Barcelona is a huge part of Catalan culture and there are a lot of children at matches. This is also how a lot of families spend a Sat/Sun evening and that's so awesome. It is a huge family atmosphere at Camp Nou and I'd take that over crazy ultras who usually have personal agendas in mind over support for the club & community.

These are the 2 main points I got from most of the local people in Barcelona who I watched matches with in bars. In either case we are far better off than those madristas who go to matches saying "Entertain Us!" vs our great club who play beautiful football and naturally entertain. I hope the Global economy gets better for all people and so we can upgrade to this...
Barcelona-New-Camp-Nou.jpg

110,000+ & mostly covered so acoustics will be a lot better!
 

Pepe Silvia

Active member
Great thread. I notice the crowd and it gets to me from time to time, usually when the team is down or I hear whistles when opposition has the ball. I can only do me though, and I often cheer in my living room and support the players w blistering war cries. I'd like to think I'd do the same when I make it to Camp Nou.
 

mixer

New member
When I go to the stadium of Lech Poznań (team from my hometown) it is always amazing. Supporters are awesome and singing loud during the whole match every time at home and away. The stadium is small though (Capacity 25,000 or more, I don't know really)

At home:


I often have headaches after the match :lol:
 

Galning

Moderator
Barcelona is a family club.. if you have ever been to Camp Nou you would know that there are people of all ages there. Grandparents, kids, women, ultras, ... then you also have the tourists who aren't even Barça fans but just visit a game for the sake of it, of course there isn't going to be an atmosphere like some smaller clubs with a hardcore fan base.

A few years back the Barcelona fans were a lot more negative and I can't imagine their reaction after losing 7-0 on aggregate. I was at the Bayern game and I think the crowd took the defeat like champs. Yeah, there were people who already left the stadium after 0-2 or 0-3 but that always happens. You can't ask 100.000 people to remain seated when you're obviously eliminated.
 
F

Flavia

Guest
Barcelona is a family club.. if you have ever been to Camp Nou you would know that there are people of all ages there. Grandparents, kids, women, ultras, ... then you also have the tourists who aren't even Barça fans but just visit a game for the sake of it, of course there isn't going to be an atmosphere like some smaller clubs with a hardcore fan base.

A few years back the Barcelona fans were a lot more negative and I can't imagine their reaction after losing 7-0 on aggregate. I was at the Bayern game and I think the crowd took the defeat like champs. Yeah, there were people who already left the stadium after 0-2 or 0-3 but that always happens. You can't ask 100.000 people to remain seated when you're obviously eliminated.

One of the points the espn br guy made is german clubs found a better balance between the noisers, families and tourists.

Btw, the groups which were on strike were there for the bayern game?
 

Galning

Moderator
I don't know which groups sit where but yeah the regular supporters behind Gol Sud were there for the Bayern game.
 

XaviMessiGirl

New member
Yeah, not sure details on how German clubs "get it right", but they proved it can be possible at least. Though Galning makes a good point - and as he is someone who has been to several Barca matches, I trust his judgment - is that Barca is a worldwide brand (I hate this term in relation to football clubs, but it's the truth), ask a foreigner who knows nothing of football to name a club & they will probably say either Barca or Man Utd. They most likely won't name an Italian, German etc club. Because of this, tourists who are not normally football fans might make more of a point to go see a match in Barcelona than they might in most other cities. And as higher attendance = more money, they don't want to scare these people away by having it be portrayed as a violent or hostile atmosphere.

I remember before I went to Italy I was reading travel books & a couple of them specifically said not to wear football colors unless you're really familiar with all the rivalries & whatnot. Perhaps a bit too alarmist but reading that would probably deter some neutrals from taking an interest in football while visiting. Some clubs in Italy have family/kids sections though, usually on the opposite side of the stadium to the curva where all the ultras sit, so they're separated from it. Guess there is the problem that kids will still be exposed to it though if there ARE any incidents.
 

Kerrybai

New member
ask a foreigner who knows nothing of football to name a club & they will probably say either Barca or Man Utd.

Tourists can certainly dilute the atmosphere but in the end it's worth having them to increase revenue etc. I think there is a very thin line between a successful ultra culture like that in Germany and a much more negative one in Italy.
 

XaviMessiGirl

New member
Tourists can certainly dilute the atmosphere but in the end it's worth having them to increase revenue etc. I think there is a very thin line between a successful ultra culture like that in Germany and a much more negative one in Italy.

Yep, never said otherwise. Besides, there is always the chance that a tourist who includes a Barca match on their itinerary might decide to start supporting the club after, which is also a good thing. I think we have examples of that on this forum actually.

Speaking of crazy ultras, River's and Boca's in Argentina. That's precisely what you DON'T want to have happen.
 

Kerrybai

New member
Yep, never said otherwise. Besides, there is always the chance that a tourist who includes a Barca match on their itinerary might decide to start supporting the club after, which is also a good thing. I think we have examples of that on this forum actually.

Speaking of crazy ultras, River's and Boca's in Argentina. That's precisely what you DON'T want to have happen.

Do you know much about the current Barca ultra groups? I see them behind one of the goal usually. Do they all bunch together or are they spread around the stadium

Finally do you know if any Spanish stadiums use standing terraces. If we converted the area behind the goal to terracing and piled all the ultras in we might generate a better atmosphere.
 

XaviMessiGirl

New member
Do you know much about the current Barca ultra groups? I see them behind one of the goal usually. Do they all bunch together or are they spread around the stadium

Finally do you know if any Spanish stadiums use standing terraces. If we converted the area behind the goal to terracing and piled all the ultras in we might generate a better atmosphere.

I think most of the groups you see now aren't really ultras by definition, but penyas (supporters groups). But the groups you see are generally congregated in Corba Sud, along with the few Boixos who escaped a ban or were let back in. I'm probably not the most knowledgeable person though (I know more about some of the Italian groups than of Barca's), but that's where my friend would sit when she'd go with her dad's old buddies, and it's common for most groups to sit in the same area behind one of the goals. I'm not even sure if Rosell is allowing the unbanned Boixos to display affiliation again, does anyone know this?

And no, Camp Nou is all-seater. And that is up to UEFA rules.
 

Daemul

previously known as Jonathan28
I think I made more noise last Wednesday night in my living room then the entire Camp Nou combined.
 

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