Barça: més que un club

Arriving in Barcelona, for the second time in less than a week, I was in search of something apart of the culture that is not in museums or cathedrals. I knew that soccer was popular in Spain before arriving and thought that I might venture out to the local soccer stadium to try and understand why this sport has captured the minds of millions of Spaniards.

Emerging from the metro stop at Les Corts, I immediately began to search for the direction of the soccer stadium. After taking in my surroundings, I realized that it had to be close because most of the stores had posters of FC Barcelona in the windows. Additionally, many flags were hanging from the balconies of the nearby apartments. I saw a sign pointing in the direction of the stadium and only had to walk a couple of blocks before noticing the ominous stadium of Camp Nou. Walking towards the stadium I realized that the posters flags and other memorabilia, in the surrounding area, represented territoriality within the country of Spain and that FC Barcelona is not just a professional soccer team, but also a symbol of society and culture.

Camp Nou was opened to the public in 1957. Though, Camp Nou is not the original name given to the stadium. It was originally called Estadi de Barcelona. In 2000, due to high demand, the President of the football club decided to officially change the name to Camp Nou because that is what many of the fans called the stadium informally. UEFA, Europe’s soccer governing organizations, recognizes Camp Nou as an Elite Stadium because of its special features. The stadium has a capacity of over 98,000, making it the largest in Europe and the 11^th largest in the world. Within the stadium is a state of the art locker room with flat screen televisions, built-in Jacuzzi, and massage tables. Furthermore, a television broadcasting room, media conference room, and a press box that seats over 300 journalists. Due to its excellence, Camp Nou has hosted important games such as the 1982 World Cup and the UEFA Champions League final in 1999.

The Stadium reflects FC Barcelona in several ways. The top and bottom level seats are painted red, while the middle level is painted blue. This gives an effect of stripes, the design of the team’s jerseys. The stadium also reflects the religion of the Catalans. In the stadium, before the entrance onto the field, is a chapel in which the players use before games. Another unique feature is that in one particular section some of the seats are painted yellow and spell out the phrase “Més que un club” meaning, more than a club. That expression explained to me that FC Barcelona is not just a team that plays soccer, but something in which the Catalans hold closely embedded in their culture.

One of the tour guides said that when FC Barcelona plays Real Madrid it is known as El Clasico, game between the Castilians and Catalans. He also mentioned that it is one of the largest rivalries in all of the European soccer teams. This rivalry is huge because of the political history of Spain. When Francisco Franco was in power, FC Barcelona was the only symbol of pride in which the Catalans had while being purged by the government.

Camp Nou and FC Barcelona is just as important to the culture of the Catalans as anything else. It is considered to be religion in Barcelona, almost holy or sacred to those who live there. The tour guide also said that when Barcelona plays, whether at home or away, the whole city shuts down and everyone watches the game. From visiting the stadium I now understand what soccer means to the people of Barcelona. The dignified stadium shows how much the people of Cataluña care for their team and that FC Barcelona is indeed more than just a football club.