Barça fan groups accuse board of ‘selling out’

A collection of Barcelona supporters’ groups have accused the board of selling the club out “economically and socially” after being kicked out of the Olympic Stadium for the last two home games.

Barça announced last week the indefinite closure of an area behind one of the goals due to a dispute with fans over unpaid fines totalling €21,000.

As a result, the groups that make up the Espai d’Animació (EDA) — the singing section in the North Goal stand — were not able to attend the Champions League win over Brest or the LaLiga loss to Las Palmas, which marked the club’s 125th anniversary.

“After decades supporting the club through its best and, above all, worst moments, home and away, they have prevented us from celebrating and enjoying our 125th anniversary,” a statement signed by the four supporters’ groups that form the EDA said.

“This is not about fines we don’t want to pay, there is much more in the background. Little by little, the socios [members] are losing the weight they have historically had.

“The club are removing the atmosphere, filling the stadium with tourists, Mexican waves at 0-0, ‘kiss cams,’ a joke of an announcer, indecent prices, fomenting the absence of rivalries, changing colours for marketing purposes and taking big decisions without any transparency or consultation.

“There are infinite reasons that reveal the intentions of the board, prioritising a business model where those closest and most loyal to the club are harmed. They are selling the club economically and socially.

“The closing of our section, the voice of the stadium, is the next step in the social death of the club. Either we react or they will end up destroying the most important thing this club has.

“You don’t play with the club’s dignity. Or with the club’s history. And especially not with the value of the badge and the feeling of the socios and fans.”

Barça say the EDA have not paid fines, per an agreement between the two parties, the club have received for 14 violations totalling €21,000. The fines relate to the breach of regulations regarding chants and behaviour inside the stadium.

The EDA argue the fines are related to individual actions, that the club have the tools to identify who is responsible and that they should not be punished as a collective.

The EDA occupy a section behind one of the goals at the Olympic Stadium — where Barça are playing temporarily while Camp Nou is regenerated — which is made up of around 600 seats.

Barça say the EDA’s “mission is to create an atmosphere of support for the team that encourages the rest of the public to join in from the first minute of every game.”

The section remained empty for the Brest game, but it was occupied for Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Las Palmas, with the Catalan club opting to re-sell the seats as the stand-off with supporters’ groups continued.