Barcelona will limit ticket sales for next week’s Champions League game against Eintracht Frankfurt to members only to avoid a repeat of when the German club’s supporters flooded Spotify Camp Nou in 2022.
Over 30,000 Frankfurt fans managed to get into Barça’s stadium for the Europa League tie, creating a sea of white shirts as the Bundesliga side secured a famous victory on their way to winning the trophy.
The two teams meet for the first time since then next Tuesday, with Barça taking the decision to restrict ticket sales leading up to the game.
“This decision has been taken to safeguard the safety of Barça supporters and to prevent a repeat of the situation experienced in April 2022, when the majority of spectators in the stadium were not supporters of the home team,” the Catalan club said in a statement.
“With this measure, the club grants absolute priority to its members, who are the backbone of the institution, and ensures that the stadium will be a space of celebration and exclusive support for Barça fans.”
Barça president Joan Laporta also underscored the club’s desire to avoid a repeat of what happened last time.
“I don’t want to have the feeling we had during that game in 2022,” he said at an event on Thursday. “It’s a horrific memory, the stadium full of opposition shirts.”
The match will be Barça’s first in the Champions League back at Camp Nou since they returned to the stadium in November.
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Barça have spent the last two years playing at the Olympic Stadium while the arena is redeveloped, but have played their last three LaLiga games back home with a capped capacity of 45,000 as work continues on the rebuild.
After losing to Chelsea last week, Frankfurt’s visit is also important for Barça’s Champions League hopes.
Hansi Flick’s side currently have seven points from five games, leaving them 18th in the standings, three points off the top eight and an automatic spot in the round of 16.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, are also in desperate need of a win. They sit 28th with four points from their five games, two points short of the top 24 and a place in the knockout round in the New Year.
