The Board of Directors of FC Barcelona announced yesterday through a press conference the way that Camp Nou season ticket holders will have to move to the Estadi Olímpic next season. Those involved, the current subscribers at Camp Nou, know the conditions at the same time as, for example, a member of Real Madrid.
As explained, many ticket holders and members of the Barça season proved them wrong: they believed that the matter was about how to occasionally move to another field during the renovation of the Camp Nou but the matter doesn’t happen that way. They have already smelled that by reducing the capacity they have to make sacrifices, but they cannot imagine that being a subscriber to the Camp Nou for, in some cases, more than 60 years, will not exempt them from running on the web through one of the Estadi venues and does not have the right to sit in the same location throughout the season.
The Board of Directors decided to make a clean sweep: there was talk about the “suspension of the condition of the subscriber at Camp Nou” and that in the Estadi Olímpic all the members started from scratch. It’s time to get ready to hit the web on a given day and request a spot. First come, first caught. Well, yes, 48 hours are left for subscribers to attend 85% of the games this season so they have preference over others. Like selling concert tickets. First surprise…
Things didn’t start off so well. Then the prices of fertilizers are explained. Increases of 30 to 40% compared to the current period. Vice president Elena Fort came out on the move making sure it didn’t go up because “it’s a different product.” A different product and, by the way, worse for the subscriber and more expensive. Thumbs up! The question that remains pending is: Will the current prices return when you return to the Camp Nou? Fort said Montjuïc was only for one year. I hope it will be like that.
Then it is explained that a part of the seats will not enjoy 100% visibility (9,369 between 80 and 2l 100%), that there are 2,179 locations with almost zero visibility (between 0 and 20% although they are not commercial ) and how climbing and parking on the magic mountain will be arranged. Oops! things turned bad…
The final straw was when the figure was given that only 27,385 seats would go to season ticket holders, out of a total of 49,472. Another formula to get more revenue through ticketing. ‘Foreigners’, rival fans and tour operators wring their hands.
If the issue is to achieve the highest possible income, even if it is detrimental to the current subscribers of the Camp Nou, it can be explained clearly. The member and subscriber are fully aware of the financial situation of the club and have the ability to understand things and even approve them in an extraordinary meeting that should be held and is not. It is surprising that, after asking for 1,450 million pesetas to face the works of the new Camp Nou and mortgaging a good part of the club’s future income, season ticket holders are being mistreated in this way.
It should be noted that the club, when faced with the construction of the Camp Nou, asked members to advance various bills. And many advanced money. There are people who turn away from returning. Those times were different, but the spirit of Barça members then and now is one of unconditional support for Barcelona. It is worth explaining everything in advance, submitting it to the assembly and voting on the measures proposed by the Board to apply. The ‘fait accompli’ approach and letting everyone know at a press conference is a nasty maneuver.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
