Possibly, no, almost certainly the marketing department of FC Barcelona had come up with a detailed strategy to be well prepared. A playout plan to get as many people interested in this highlight as possible. But whatever the creative minds might have come up with, they didn’t have to be very convincing. On January 10, FC Barcelona announced that their women’s footballers would not be playing the second leg of the Champions League on March 30 against Real Madrid as usual at the Estadio Johan Cruyff. This time it should be the big stage: The Camp Nou. Within a few days, the tickets from the club contingent were sold out.
The first statement about the move to the largest football stadium in Europe said that Barça would do everything possible to ensure that the largest possible crowd supported the team in the stadium. It looked like this: club members were given a time window of 24 hours to reserve a maximum of four seats at the price of the processing fee. After that, ticket sales were activated for everyone else for nine to 15 euros. A week after the initial announcement, Barca’s website said: Camp Nou will be full – with 85,000 spectators.
“We are ready to play in front of so many people,” said captain Alexia Putellas at Tuesday’s press conference, adding a touch of pathos: “Tomorrow could be the start of a new era. The game will inspire a lot of people, especially girls.” And: “I think it can mark a before and after in women’s football. Tomorrow is without a doubt a big moment.”
“It’s wonderful to see this team play,” said Barça’s men’s coach Xavi Hernández
Barcelona won the first leg 3-1 and of course the attractiveness of the event depends on the opponent. The Clásico against Real for the former German national player Babett Peter has also become the duel for women that everyone absolutely wants to win. With two weeks to go in the quarter-finals in the premier club, Barça defeated fourth-placed 5-0 – to secure their third straight league title and seventh overall with six games remaining.
The statistics underline the dominance with which the Catalans have been whirling across the pitch for some time: currently 25 wins in 25 games with a goal balance of 138:7. With 75 points, coach Jonatan Giráldez’s side have 19 more than second-placed Real Sociedad San Sebastián. “It’s wonderful to see this team play,” said Barça’s men’s coach Xavi Hernández, “they are progressing just like the Dream Team did back then or Pep’s Barça (Guardiola, editor’s note). You are a role model for men.”
Space for a lot of spectators: The Camp Nou in Barcelona. Will there be a new record in women’s club football here on Wednesday night?
(Photo: David Ramirez/ZUMA Wire/Imago)
With the backdrop of Wednesday evening (6.45 p.m., DAZN), FC Barcelona can set a new record in women’s club football. He is also involved in the previous one. In March 2019, 60,739 spectators came to the Wanda Metropolitano against Atletico Madrid. But FC Barcelona has more in mind and so club president Joan Laporta said before the home game on radio station RAC1: “We have called on all members to use their tickets. We want to break the world record for a women’s game. There are great expectations because it is a majestic one Venue is.”
The record in the Champions League is 50,212, which saw 1. FFC Frankfurt versus Olympique Lyon at the Munich Olympic Stadium in 2012. To take the lead across all competitions, you need to outperform the 90,185 viewers who watched the 1999 World Cup final between the USA and China. The Camp Nou can accommodate 99,354 guests.
“I couldn’t imagine playing at the Camp Nou myself. I’ve only ever seen men play there,” says world footballer Alexia Putellas
The women already played there in January 2021, in the league against RCD Espanyol, but without spectators due to the corona measures. And then there was December 25, 1970, when women footballers competed there as Selecció Ciutat de Barcelona. It is considered the first women’s team from Barça, but was not officially allowed to use the name or even the clothes of the Azulgrana line up According to the club, 60,000 people came, but at that time the women were the opening act for the men’s game against CSKA Sofia. Now they are the main event.
“I couldn’t imagine playing at the Camp Nou myself. I’ve only ever seen men play there,” Putellas said on Tuesday. “I knew I could play football – but I didn’t think it was possible at that level.”
The Catalans have already successfully defended this title: Marta Torrejon (left) and Alexia Putellas celebrate the championship.
(Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images)
A new record would fit the development of the club. When Uefa organized an international club competition for women for the first time in 2001, this team did not officially exist with the Catalans. As Barcelona Women’s Club, it trained next to the Camp Nou – where cars were parked for the men’s games at the weekend. “Every little progress was a big victory for us. If we managed to train on the artificial grass next to the Mini instead of on the clay courts next to the Camp Nou, we were happy,” former coach Natalia Astrain told the Spanish El País a year ago.
FC Barcelona qualified for the first round ten years ago and went down 3-0 and 4-0 against Arsenal. 1354 people watched the home game at the Miniestadi back then. Even since the women’s soccer team was added as a department on June 26, 2002, many players had to persevere until the conditions finally turned professional in 2015. In the meantime, those responsible for the club have long since recognized the potential in this division.
With an estimated four million euros, the budget is one of the highest in Europe. After the women reached the Champions League final for the first time in 2019, further investments were made and the city on the coast of Spain became one of the most sought-after addresses. Finally, in 2021, the triumph under Lluís Cortés followed, the triple. Alexia Putellas became world player and received the Ballon d’Or. And now, as a possible next triumph, a sold-out Camp Nou.