2023-06-26 07:30:22
BarcelonaThe millionaire investment in the remodeling of the Camp Nou only makes sense if the stadium multiplies its income. And this is achieved by raising prices and squeezing to the maximum the offer of VIP products intended for the richest pockets. Especially, those that are newly created. The two rings between the second and third stands, with the boxes, in addition to the seats premium, they must report more than 76 million annually, 22% of the expected turnover when the field operates at full capacity. The number may seem small, but the VIP products only represent 7,557 seats out of the 105,281 that the future Camp Nou will have. In other words, while this 7% will generate 76 million, the remaining 93% (between subscribers and sales to the public) will only report 124.
The figures come from the report prepared by Legends on the economic viability of the new stadium. It details the locations and the price they must have so that the numbers come out and the club can pay back the 1.45 billion debt without suffering so that the men in Black. Everything will be more expensive, although, on the other hand, the future Camp Nou, which wants to be inaugurated in 2026, will also offer more possibilities at all levels, from access to comfort, through a renewed gastronomic offer.
But not everything will be flowers and violets, since this same report also predicts that “approximately 7,300 subscribers” will have to be relocated to make room for VIP products, specifically in the tribune and side areas, where the installation of more than 3,500 localities premium. The club denies this, but this newspaper – which has had access to the documentation – has extracted the data from the report that has been included in the Espai Barça securitization fund, in the second annex, and which is signed by a notary , the president Joan Laporta and the investors on April 24, 2023.
At the beginning of the mandate, when the board redesigned the stadium reform project – demolishing the third tier and increasing the price of the works – vice president Elena Fort justified the changes. In an interview with the ARA, he said that a “red line” was that 12,500 fans would have to be relocated from the first to the third tier. This medium has asked the club to know under what conditions this relocation will take place, if it will be automatic or if subscribers will be given the opportunity to change zones, but has not received a response.
It will not be the only inconvenience, since the works will also affect the fans who watched the football from the third tier. The construction of the two rings to make room for the private boxes will increase the distance of the seats to the pitch: the first row will be located at a higher vertical height and will be further apart in the horizontal plane. Instead, the first stand will remain intact, which was one of those that had to be retouched with the old project, removing the seats in the last rows but increasing their inclination to improve visibility.
The VIP offer represents 22% of the annual turnover
The remodeling of the project has meant moving the VIP boxes from the first stand, where they were projected, to the second. This situation will mean that, being further away from the pitch, the price will be lower. In any case, more than twice as many as Bartomeu’s work team had designed will be built and this will increase the overall turnover.
According to the economic projection, of the 7,557 VIP seats, around 5,000 will be sold with season tickets and will directly bring 63 million to the club. The rest of the preferential tickets, which will be sold match by match, will generate 10.9 million. The remaining 2.6 are convertible seats, which depending on the importance of the match can be VIP tickets – including food and drink – or normal tickets.
The VIP seats include a full service at the Camp Nou, from a parking space to “five-star” catering. Single seats will cost between 9,000 and 20,000 euros per course, while double seats will cost between 7,000 and 15,000 euros per location. Prices vary depending on your location on the field, as it is not the same to watch football behind the benches than at a point further from the pitch. The same goes for private boxes, with wide price brackets depending on whether they are in the midfield or in the goals. The boxes of 4 must be sold at prices between 11,000 and 18,000 euros per locality. And in those of 12, each seat will cost between 11,000 and 17,000.
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