Barcelona find themselves in a stand-off with a section of their fanbase after closing part of their stadium “indefinitely” over fines related to supporter behaviour.
The club believe the groups making up their official supporters’ stand should reimburse them for the fines. Those groups disagree.
On Tuesday, Barcelona announced they would close part of Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys before their Champions League match against Brest. Part of the lower north end of the ground will be empty tonight.
In a statement, Barca said the Espai d’Animacio (Supporters’ space) would be “closed due to non-compliance by the groups that form part of the obligations they have assumed with the club”.
So, what is going on and why have the club taken this decision?
Why were Barcelona fined?
Barcelona have been fined €21,000 ($22,000; £18,000) by La Liga, UEFA and the Generalitat de Catalunya (the Catalonian government) since the start of last season for fan behaviour.
The latest example was a €10,000 fine from UEFA after a banner with Nazi connotations was displayed in the away end during Barca’s Champions League game at Monaco this season that read ‘Flick heil’, referring to German coach Hansi Flick. The nature of the banner was the final trigger for Barca to take action against any similar behaviour.
Barca said they had been subject to “14 disciplinary proceedings for behaviour contrary to the regulations in force in the supporters’ area”.
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Why do Barcelona think the groups should reimburse them?
The club have already paid the fines but demanded the four groups that make up the supporters’ stand reimburse them the amount to try to stop this behaviour. President Joan Laporta gave these groups — Almogavers, Front 532, Nostra Ensenya and Supporters Barca — 15 days to pay, but they refused as they do not think this is their responsibility.
Laporta has tried to curb radical fan behaviour as Barca president (Javier Borrego / AFP7 via Getty Images)
Barcelona and the fan groups signed a collaboration agreement last season that, according to the club, meant they were entitled to claim a refund from the supporters’ stand for any disciplinary fines associated with that part of the ground. Albert Yarza, president of Almogavers, said the fan groups were unaware of the situation.
“During this process, the groups have been given up to three deadlines to comply with their obligations. The last one expired at midnight last night without any result,” the club statement read.
“Having failed to comply with their obligations by any of the deadlines granted, Barcelona is closing the Espai d’Animacio indefinitely.”
How has the decision been received?
“We are sad and surprised by the club’s reaction,” Almogavers president Yarza told The Athletic. “The club has set a deadline for the payment of the €21,000 and we have not agreed to pay it because it means taking on responsibilities that we believe we do not have. The club is punishing us today by not allowing us to go to the stadium.”
Yarza said he believed the club would hold a meeting shortly to discuss the issue to find an outcome that was “no longer conditional on us making the payment and unblocking the situation”.
“Today we won’t go, it’s the price we have to pay for not having paid the €21,000, but this will serve two purposes: to be able to hold a meeting and to make it visible that when the supporters’ stand is not there, it is noticeable,” Yarza added.
Barca are playing their games at the Lluis Companys while the Camp Nou is refurbished (David Ramos – UEFA via Getty Images)
Boardroom sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — told The Athletic the club would meet group representatives once they had paid back the fines, saying the club had taken this decision to curb violent behaviour they believe has no place at Barca, particularly after supporters made a commitment not to use racist or homophobic insults.
A statement from Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said it stood “in solidarity” with Barca’s fan groups and urged the club to reverse the decision.
“The club is punishing large numbers of fans by closing the active section, without providing evidence that the minority of individuals involved in the incidents that triggered the fines are actually associated with the active groups,” the FSE statement read. “This is a blatant act of collective punishment.”
Barcelona did not wish to comment.
FSE stands in solidarity with all active fan groups of FC Barcelona after the club decided to close their section in the stadium for tonight’s #UCL match against Stade Brestois. 1/5 https://t.co/qo75aBdHst
— Football Supporters Europe (@FansEurope) November 26, 2024
What is the history of the supporters’ stand?
Former president Josep Maria Bartomeu formally established the supporters’ stand in the 2016-17 season.
It remained after Laporta succeeded Bartomeu in 2021, although it has been redefined while the team plays at the Lluis Companys during the Camp Nou refurbishment. The groups are occupying fewer seats at the temporary stadium.
Laporta has long fought against the club’s more radical fans. When he was elected for his first spell in charge in 2003, he made clear his determination to remove violent supporters from the Camp Nou stands.
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The club’s violent and radicalised ultras, known as the Boixos Nois, were banned from attending matches and travelling away in 2003. Laporta’s determination to get rid of them saw him receive death threats and led to his home being vandalised with graffiti messages such as, “We are going to kill you,” and, “Our house is the Camp Nou, yours is a grave.”
The Boixos Nois remain distanced from the club with Laporta still in charge and are not involved in the current supporters’ stand. But the president is determined not to allow any offensive behaviour to take place in the stadium.
Barca sources say the banner in Monaco’s away section was a turning point for the club to take stronger action against fans’ behaviour and ensure these incidents do not happen again.
When could these supporters return?
Any potential return depends on Barcelona and the supporters’ groups fixing the situation. Fan representatives say Barca have not agreed to their requests for meetings.
Now the deadline has passed and they will not be allowed to attend the Brest game, club sources say an urgent meeting will take place in the coming days to solve the issue.
The supporters’ stand holds 572 seats and is generally the area that produces the most noise, starting chants and leading support for the team. After their 4-1 Champions League win against Bayern Munich, Barca players went to that part of the ground to celebrate with the fans.
The best-case scenario is that Barca and their supporters find a breakthrough and the stand is filled again for their next game in La Liga against Las Palmas on Sunday. But it is unclear whether that is possible given how far apart both sides seem.
(Top photo: Barca players celebrate with the supporters’ stand after their win against Bayern; by Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty Images
