Barcelona’s surreal elimination in a “camp nou blanco”
Barcelona’s adventure in the Europa League was cut off by a tragic 3-2 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, at Camp Nou.
As if this wasn’t enough, what made the elimination even more humiliating was the unusual vast presence of away supporters in the Blaugrana’s house.
"It was like a final, with the stadium split. It was disappointing,” Xavi declared in the post-match press conference.
The reports say that around 30,000 Eintracht supporters were present at the stadium, making up for one-third of the stadium’s full capacity (99,354 seats).
The club’s president Joan Laporta expressed shame and concern for such a mistake.
“We are processing the information we have and will give explanations,” he added.
UEFA regulations state how at least 5% of the total capacity of a stadium should be reserved for the away club.
What has brought so many away supporters into the Camp Nou is still unclear.
One of the hypotheses is the club’s “seient liure” policy. A season ticket holder who is not able to attend a match can “free” his seat. The club will sell it and give part of the proceeds to the original holder.
Other suspects indicate Spanish tour operators, that sell tourists packages that comprehend a seat at the Camp Nou.
The reported €3 million cashed in by the club for the match surely don’t make up for such a hostile environment the Blaugrana were forced to play in.
Real Madrid’s fans are not sparing any irony and jokes toward their rivals for playing in a “Camp Nou blanco,” a white Camp Nou, as the shirt color of both the Galacticos and Eintracht is.