Espanyol drew 45% more season tickets than Barça to Montjuïc

2023-09-11 07:45:05

BarcelonaTransfers are uncomfortable processes, especially for football clubs. They test the loyalty of fans who are not always prepared to change their routines to accompany their teams in exile. Although the distance that separates Spotify Camp Nou from Montjuïc and the land where the Sarrià stadium stood until 1997 is exactly the same, four kilometers, the response of the respective social masses has been quite different: the ‘Espanyol managed to attract 45% more season tickets in the twelve seasons it lived at the Lluís Companys Stadium than Barça this year.

Subscribers of RCD Espanyol in Montjuïc

The white-and-blue club registered an average of 25,460 subscribers between 1997 and 2009, 7,910 more than the 17,550 faithful announced by the Barça team in mid-August. Only one season in Montjuïc, in fact, Espanyol did not reach 20,000 subscribers: it was in 1999-200, with 19,354. In the year of his farewell (2008-09), the parrot club closed it with 29,514 subscribers, a record number in a season in which the white-and-blues achieved a historic comeback: with ten days left they were cuers, eight points from salvation. Thanks to the push from the fans (the club helped, putting tickets at five euros), Espanyol scored 25 of the last 30 points. The stand was key for the Cornellà-El Prat era to begin in Primera.

The price factor has a big impact. Espanyol has halved tickets in the Second Division and the fans have responded again: 24,411 fans will have a seat at the Stage Front Stadium. There are 6,861 more (39% more) than Barça have in the First Division. And that the Barça club almost halved its initial fee proposal: in the entertainment area, the cheapest season ticket went from 350 euros to 175; in the stands, the most expensive fell from 1,740 to 870 euros.

Speaking of money, another significant difference: Barça will pay more than 35 million euros to the City Council for the exile in the Olympic Stadium, a figure that includes the rent, the adaptation works to the environment, the modernization of the services of the entire site and the reinforcement of public transport. Espanyol started by paying 180,000 euros for a rent that ended up skyrocketing to 600,000 euros a year. He could have stayed there for another 99 years for a euro, but the council’s offer came late because the club had already committed to the current Stage Front Stadium.

From the mobility plan to the attendance confirmation

But what other reasons explain the drop of more than 64,000 season tickets suffered by Barça? Mobility is a key obstacle: Barça agreed with the City Council to prohibit access to four-wheeled vehicles around the Olympic Stadium three hours before matches, a limitation that Espanyol did not suffer. The rotation of members is another inconvenience that has led to thousands of supporters of the Barcelona club asking for a leave of absence in the season ticket to avoid the transfer to Montjuïc. The season ticket holder who wants to go to any match must request his entry, at least, six days before it is played. If attendance is not actively indicated, the club will not assign you a seat and you will not be able to attend. In exchange for this regime, Barça secures a considerable bag of tickets to sell at tourist prices. That is, quite high.

The timing of the move is another key difference to understand the difference in the number of season ticket holders between Espanyol and Barça at Montjuïc. Barça plans to play again at the Spotify Camp Nou in November 2024. In other words, the Blaugrana season ticket holder will, in principle, only have to wait a year and two months to see the team at home again. In the case of the white-and-blue entity, the passage between the demolition of Sarrià and the inauguration of Cornellà-El Prat lasted twelve years. Of course, the inconvenience caused by the transfer did not prevent Espanyol from collecting several sporting successes: staying in Primera, winning two Copa del Rey and reaching a UEFA final. Now it’s up to Barça to overcome this new stage.