Barcelona's Camp Nou was only a third full against Alaves. AFP
Barcelona's Camp Nou was only a third full against Alaves. AFP
Barcelona's Camp Nou was only a third full against Alaves. AFP
Barcelona's Camp Nou was only a third full against Alaves. AFP

Why Barcelona fans are deserting Camp Nou - and it's not just because of Messi


Andy Mitten
  • English
  • Arabic

Camp Nou, the biggest football club stadium in the world regularly used by one team, holds 99,354 and with all Covid restrictions dropped, the full capacity was permitted for Barcelona's game against Alaves last Saturday.

Yet almost two thirds of the giant stadium was empty and a crowd of just 37,278 watched Barca struggle to overcome lowly Alaves, shining another spotlight on the club and their problems in a week when they sacked coach Ronald Koeman.

It was their lowest attendance for a weekend game for more than 20 years, and there are multiple reasons why numbers have fallen so much.

Judged by average home gates, the Catalans have been one of the best three supported teams in the world for much of this century, along with Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund. Barca’s average crowd was more than 70,000 for 13 consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2017. As recently as 2018-19, the last full season before Covid, their average home league attendance was 76,051.

The picture looks very different this season, and even the clasico didn’t sell out last week although the 86,000 was more than twice that of Saturday’s disappointing draw against the Basques.

A holiday weekend didn’t help, nor does a poorer team without star attraction Lionel Messi. The loss of the Argentine means there are far fewer football tourists at games.

“Losing Messi combining with Covid is a total disaster,” explained Charles Hamilton who runs a company specialising in hospitality at major clubs around Europe. “The party is over for now, but let’s see what this season brings. We sold out of our entire allocation of PSG tickets within five days of Messi moving there.”

Messi’s departure wasn’t the only factor. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was once a huge pull for Swedes, Ronaldinho for all fans. Barcelona improved their marketing to cater to burgeoning tourist numbers visiting the Mediterranean city in the mid-noughties onwards and rode a wave which didn’t crash.

Empty seats at Camp Nou against Alaves. AFP
Empty seats at Camp Nou against Alaves. AFP

The club’s stadium tour was the most popular paid for attraction in Catalonia, merchandise sales surged too. If they wanted to see a game, they paid top money for it. Ticket prices for non-season ticket holders rose and rose. Even now, 18 of the 22 price brackets for Barca’s next two home games are priced between €69–€199. A good standard seat along the side of the pitch is €150. It’s expensive, even for a fan who lives in the city and doesn’t have a season ticket – though Barca offered half price tickets for the recent Valencia and Dynamo Kiev games to tempt fans back. It hasn’t worked.

For so long, the season ticket holders provided the bedrock of support. They still do and the atmosphere has been noisy inside the stadium this season, but more than 26,238 season ticket holders took a one-off option to opt out for this campaign, leaving 57,000 who paid.

Lionel Messi was a huge draw at Camp Nou. Reuters
Lionel Messi was a huge draw at Camp Nou. Reuters

“I did not renew,” says Marc Rosell Ricart, whose family have held four season tickets since 1952 when the club played at their old Les Corts stadium. It was not because of the standard of football. “The deadline was in July at a time when no fans were allowed into stadiums. There was uncertainty about what would happen next. The club allowed us the option to not renew for one year and I took it.”

Covid uncertainty is clearly a factor – many of those who attend games are older. Demand has dropped off a cliff. For the first game which fans were allowed back in August 29,000, tickets were made available to season ticket holders. Only 15,000 applied and only 20,384 attended the game against current league leaders Real Sociedad. August traditionally sees lower crowds since so many fans are out of the city in the holiday month, but never this low.

Maybe they’ll come back

“The club emailed us last week to offer us the opportunity to buy our season ticket for this year at the full price. I would have paid it for three-quarters of the price since there’s only three-quarters of the season left,” added Marc. “I still might do it. The price for my season ticket is a good one. And we were attending games before the Messi era when crowds of between 45-60,000 were not unusual. But if Xavi comes back as coach, excitement will rise and crowds will return.” Five thousand of the 26,238 who paused their season tickets have bought them again in recent weeks.

It’s a mixed picture across Spain. Atletico Madrid had a crowd of 56,838 on Sunday, Real Sociedad sold out all 40,000 seat for the Basque derby. Real Madrid are still undergoing an extensive redevelopment of their Bernabeu stadium and have a limited capacity. Real Betis have the same number of season tickets now as pre-covid and boast 45,000 crowds. That will please La Liga, who fined clubs for having empty seats on view to TV cameras before Covid since they wanted to promote a better image to the world.

Barca beaten in clasico

  • Real Madrid David Alaba celebrates after scoring the first goal in their 2-1 win over Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 24. AFP
    Real Madrid David Alaba celebrates after scoring the first goal in their 2-1 win over Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 24. AFP
  • Barcelona forward Memphis Depay during the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Camp Nou. AFP
    Barcelona forward Memphis Depay during the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Camp Nou. AFP
  • Barcelona striker Luuk De Jong battles for the ball with Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro. AFP
    Barcelona striker Luuk De Jong battles for the ball with Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro. AFP
  • Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho battles with Real Madrid defender Eder Militao. EPA
    Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho battles with Real Madrid defender Eder Militao. EPA
  • Barcelona defender Sergino Dest goes tumbling after a clash with Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. EPA
    Barcelona defender Sergino Dest goes tumbling after a clash with Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. EPA
  • Barcelona forward Ansu Fati tries to evade challenges from Real Madrid forward Lucas Vazquez (L) and midfielder Luka Modric. AFP
    Barcelona forward Ansu Fati tries to evade challenges from Real Madrid forward Lucas Vazquez (L) and midfielder Luka Modric. AFP
  • Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero challenges for the ball against Real Madrid's David Alaba and Casemiro. Reuters
    Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero challenges for the ball against Real Madrid's David Alaba and Casemiro. Reuters
  • Real Madrid players celebrate with David Alaba after he scored the opening goal. EPA
    Real Madrid players celebrate with David Alaba after he scored the opening goal. EPA
  • Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema tries a shot on goal against Barcelona. AFP
    Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema tries a shot on goal against Barcelona. AFP
  • Karim Benzema gets crowded out by Barcelona players. EPA
    Karim Benzema gets crowded out by Barcelona players. EPA
  • Barcelona defender Jordi Alba blocks a shot from Vinicius Jr. AFP
    Barcelona defender Jordi Alba blocks a shot from Vinicius Jr. AFP
  • Ansu Fati reacts to missing a goalscoring opportunity against Real Madrid. AFP
    Ansu Fati reacts to missing a goalscoring opportunity against Real Madrid. AFP
  • David Alaba (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal. AFP
    David Alaba (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal. AFP
  • Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen watches the ball enter the goal after David Alaba scored for Real Madrid. Reuters
    Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen watches the ball enter the goal after David Alaba scored for Real Madrid. Reuters
  • Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez celebrates scoring their second goal with Ferland Mendy. Reuters
    Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez celebrates scoring their second goal with Ferland Mendy. Reuters
  • Ferland Mendy and Casemiro celebrate Real Madrid's second goal. Reuters
    Ferland Mendy and Casemiro celebrate Real Madrid's second goal. Reuters
  • Sergio Aguero scores for Barcelona in stoppage time. Getty Images
    Sergio Aguero scores for Barcelona in stoppage time. Getty Images

Crowds in Spain have traditionally been lowered because there’s a limited culture of travelling to away games, matches are often rescheduled without the match-going fan in mind and ticket prices for non-season ticket holders can be exorbitant. Barcelona’s €119 price for visiting Manchester United fans in 2019 – for the worst seats in the stadium - is the highest in United’s entire history. The second, third, fourth and fifth highest ticket prices were all for United’s games in Spain, too.

In England, ticket prices at many clubs haven’t increased for a decade while prices for away fans dropped and are pegged at £30 in the Premier League. No wonder then that football attendances in England are enjoying a surge - one which Spain is not capitalising on.

There’s a post covid reaction with people wanting to get out and attend live sports, but gates across different leagues have been rising for three decades. The Premier League is likely to go through an average of 40,000 for the first time ever this season. It’s currently 40,428. If that figure stays it will surpass even those monster averages of the post-World War Two years, while even in non-league many clubs are delighted with their rising crowds.

In Barcelona, the fans were there for the sustained good times from 2004-2019, but how many will stick around and go to the stadium now the going is tough?

Barca salaries without Messi

  • Frenkie de Jong is now the top earner at Barcelona, with a weekly wage of £354,000, according to fcbarcelonalatestnews.com. That's an annual salary of £18,434,000. Getty
    Frenkie de Jong is now the top earner at Barcelona, with a weekly wage of £354,000, according to fcbarcelonalatestnews.com. That's an annual salary of £18,434,000. Getty
  • Sergio Busquets is on £258,000 a week. Icon Sport
    Sergio Busquets is on £258,000 a week. Icon Sport
  • Barcelona's Argentinian forward Sergio Aguero is paid £230,000 a week. AP
    Barcelona's Argentinian forward Sergio Aguero is paid £230,000 a week. AP
  • Memphis Depay earns £230,000 a week. Getty
    Memphis Depay earns £230,000 a week. Getty
  • Gerard Pique gets £210,000 a week. Icon Sport
    Gerard Pique gets £210,000 a week. Icon Sport
  • Ousmane Dembele, £210,000 a week. AP
    Ousmane Dembele, £210,000 a week. AP
  • Miralem Pjanic, £210,000 a week. Getty
    Miralem Pjanic, £210,000 a week. Getty
  • Barcelona's French defender Samuel Umtiti is paid £208,000 a week. Getty
    Barcelona's French defender Samuel Umtiti is paid £208,000 a week. Getty
  • Sergi Roberto gets £170,000 a week. Getty
    Sergi Roberto gets £170,000 a week. Getty
  • Jordi Alba is paid £150,000 a week. Icon Sport
    Jordi Alba is paid £150,000 a week. Icon Sport
  • Philippe Coutinho, £146,000 a week. Getty
    Philippe Coutinho, £146,000 a week. Getty
  • Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, £100,000 a week. Getty
    Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, £100,000 a week. Getty
  • Pedri, £85,000 a week estimated after new deal). Getty
    Pedri, £85,000 a week estimated after new deal). Getty
  • Striker Martin Braithwaite is paid £85,000 a week. Getty
    Striker Martin Braithwaite is paid £85,000 a week. Getty
  • Clement Lenglet, £70,000 a week. AFP
    Clement Lenglet, £70,000 a week. AFP
  • Neto, £65,000 a week. Getty
    Neto, £65,000 a week. Getty
  • Ronald Araujo, £50,000 a week. Getty
    Ronald Araujo, £50,000 a week. Getty
  • Barcelona's Guinea-Bissau forward Ansu Fati, £45,000 a week (before new deal details have been released). AFP
    Barcelona's Guinea-Bissau forward Ansu Fati, £45,000 a week (before new deal details have been released). AFP
  • Sergino Dest, £41,000 a week. AFP
    Sergino Dest, £41,000 a week. AFP
  • Riqui Puig, £25,000 a week. EPA
    Riqui Puig, £25,000 a week. EPA
Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

Key findings
  • Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
  • Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase. 
  • People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”. 
  • Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better. 
  • But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

RESULTS

Argentina 4 Haiti 0

Peru 2 Scotland 0

Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

MATCH DETAILS

Chelsea 4 

Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)

Ajax 4

Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55) 

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Remaining fixtures

Third-place-play-off: Portugal v Mexico, 4pm on Sunday

Final: Chile v Germany, 10pm on Sunday

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT

RS Leipzig 3 

Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'

Emil Forsberg 87'

Tottenham 0

 

Fight card

1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)

2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)

3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)

4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)

5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)

6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)

7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)

8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)

9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)

10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)

11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)

12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)

The Little Things

Directed by: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto

Four stars

THE BIO

Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain

Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude

Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE

Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally

Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science

RESULTS

6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Superior, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap Dh 185,000 2,000m
Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Roy Orbison, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.15pm

Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm

Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
Winner: Welford, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

9.25pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,200m
Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Sandeep Jadhav

MIDWAY

Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Updated: November 02, 2021, 8:58 AM