Explaining why Barcelona have closed part of their ground 'indefinitely'

Barcelona find themselves in a stand-off with a section of their fanbase after closing part of their home stadium “indefinitely” over fines related to supporters’ bad behaviour.

The club believe the groups making up their official supporters’ stand should reimburse them for these fines. Those groups disagree.

On Tuesday, Barcelona announced they would close part of Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, where they are playing home matches while the Camp Nou undergoes extensive renovations, before their Champions League match there tonight against French visitors Brest. Part of the lower north end of the stadium will be left empty.

In a statement, Barca said the Espai d’Animacio (supporters’ space) would be “closed due to non-compliance by the groups that form part of the obligations they have assumed with the club”.

So, what is going on and why have the club taken this decision?

Why were Barcelona fined?

Barcelona have been fined a total of €21,000 ($22,000; £18,000) by Spain’s La Liga, European football’s governing body UEFA and the Generalitat de Catalunya (the Catalonian government) since the start of last season for fan behaviour.

The latest example was a €10,000 UEFA punishment after a banner with Nazi connotations was displayed in the away end during the Champions League game away to Monaco, of France’s Ligue 1, in September that read ‘Flick heil’, referring to Barca’s new German manager Hansi Flick. The nature of the banner was the final trigger for the club to take action against any similar behaviour.

Barcelona said they had been subject to “14 disciplinary proceedings for behaviour contrary to the regulations in force in the supporters’ area”.

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Why do Barca think the fan groups should reimburse them?

The club have already paid the fines but demanded the four groups that make up the supporters’ stand reimburse them in an attempt to stop this sort of behaviour. Club president Joan Laporta gave the groups — Almogavers, Front 532, Nostra Ensenya and Supporters Barca — 15 days to pay but they refused to do so, as they do not think this is their responsibility.

Laporta has tried to curb radical fan behaviour as Barca president (Javier Borrego / AFP7 via Getty Images)

Barcelona and the fan groups signed a collaboration agreement last season that, according to the club, meant they were entitled to claim a refund from the supporters’ stand for any disciplinary fines associated with that part of the stadium. But Albert Yarza, president of Almogavers, said the groups were unaware of the situation.

“During this process, the groups have been given up to three deadlines to comply with their obligations. The last one expired at midnight last night without any result,” the club statement read. “Having failed to comply with their obligations by any of the deadlines granted, Barcelona is closing the Espai d’Animacio indefinitely.”

How has the decision been received?

“We are sad and surprised by the club’s reaction,” Almogavers’ Yarza told The Athletic. “The club has set a deadline for the payment of the €21,000 and we have not agreed to pay it because it means taking on responsibilities that we believe we do not have. The club is punishing us today by not allowing us to go to the stadium.”

Yarza said he believed the club would hold a meeting shortly to discuss the issue to find an outcome that was “no longer conditional on us making the payment and unblocking the situation”.

“Today, we won’t go (to the Brest game). It’s the price we have to pay for not having paid the €21,000, but this will serve two purposes: to be able to hold a meeting and to make it visible that when the supporters’ stand is not there, it is noticeable,” Yarza added.

Barca are playing their games at the Lluis Companys while the Camp Nou is refurbished (David Ramos – UEFA via Getty Images)

Boardroom sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — told The Athletic the club would meet group representatives once they had paid back the fines money, saying the club had taken this decision to curb violent behaviour they believe has no place at Barca, particularly after supporters made a commitment not to use racist or homophobic insults.

A statement from Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said it stood “in solidarity” with Barca’s fan groups and urged the club to reverse this decision.

“The club is punishing large numbers of fans by closing the active section, without providing evidence that the minority of individuals involved in the incidents that triggered the fines are actually associated with the active groups,” the FSE statement read. “This is a blatant act of collective punishment.”

Barcelona did not wish to comment officially.

FSE stands in solidarity with all active fan groups of FC Barcelona after the club decided to close their section in the stadium for tonight’s #UCL match against Stade Brestois. 1/5 https://t.co/qo75aBdHst

— Football Supporters Europe (@FansEurope) November 26, 2024

What is the history of the supporters’ stand?

Josep Maria Bartomeu formally established the supporters’ stand while he was club president in the 2016-17 season.

It remained after Laporta succeeded Bartomeu in 2021, although it has been redefined while the team play at the Lluis Companys during the Camp Nou’s refurbishment. The groups are occupying fewer seats at Barca’s smaller temporary home.

Laporta has long fought against the club’s more radical fans. When he was elected for his first spell as president in 2003, he made clear his determination to remove violent supporters from the Camp Nou stands.

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The club’s ultras, known as the Boixos Nois, were banned from attending matches and travelling to away games that year. Laporta’s determination to get rid of them saw him receive death threats and led to his home being vandalised with graffiti messages such as, “We are going to kill you,” and, “Our house is the Camp Nou, yours is a grave.”

The Boixos Nois remain distanced from the club with Laporta again in charge and are not involved in the current supporters’ stand. But the club president is determined not to allow any offensive behaviour to take place in Barca’s stadium.

Club sources say that banner at the Monaco game was a turning point for Barcelona to take stronger action against fans to try to ensure such incidents do not happen again.

When could these supporters be allowed back?

Any potential return depends on Barcelona and the supporters’ groups fixing the situation. Fan representatives say Barca have not agreed to their requests for meetings. Now the deadline has passed and they will not be allowed to attend the Brest game tonight, club sources say talks will take place in the coming days to try to solve the issue.

The supporters’ stand holds 572 seats and is generally the area that produces the most noise, starting chants and leading support for the team. After their 4-1 Champions League home win against Bayern Munich last month, Barca players went to that part of the stadium to celebrate with the fans.

The best-case scenario is that Barca and their supporters find a breakthrough and the stand is filled again for their next home game, in La Liga against Las Palmas on Sunday. But it is unclear whether that is possible given how far apart the two sides seem right now.

(Top photo: Barcelona players celebrate with the supporters’ stand after beating Bayern; Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty Images