While Saudis spend their weekends going to nice restaurants or to shopping centers, families in Barcelona prefer to spend quality time watching their beloved football team in Europe’s largest stadium.
“Barça is a monument to the feeling of Catalonia,” said former Argentine football coach and former player César Luis Menotti.
Many of the city’s residents call Barça “the heart of Barcelona”, and this is illustrated by the fact the team and the city share the same shield as their logo.
FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou (“New Stadium” in Catalan), which can hold up to 100,000 spectators, is also the second biggest stadium in the world, after Maracana Stadium in Rio, Brazil. When Barça plays, the stadium is usually at full capacity.
Camp Nou has been the host of the Champions League finals in 1989 and 1999; the Winners Cups in 1972 and 1982; opening ceremony of the 1982 World Cup; the football final of the 1992 Olympic games; and the UEFA Cup in 1964.
“It is a five-star stadium where every spectator has a seat from where they have a perfect view of the action on the pitch,” reported the Union of European Football Associations UEFA regarding the FC Barcelona Stadium.
Families, friends, and also individuals go there to spend the morning observing the history of the Barcelona Club at the museum there. The museum, which offers special tours and guides, traces the club’s history that dates back to 1899.
The idea of the museum was first introduced by the founder of the club, Joan Gamper, in 1920 and was implemented in 1984. The 3,500-square-meter exhibit includes old newspaper articles, trophies, and sport materials up to the latest photos and records for the team.
The Camp Nou has facilities designed for everyone, such as sport enthusiasts, supporters, journalists, guests of honor, and even those interested in sports medicine.
Visitors can take tours of the entire stadium in the mornings. Above the broad pitch of the stadium are offices, a conference room, the VIP lounge, boxes and deluxe seats, a gym, chapel, changing rooms, pressroom, medical services facilities, pre warm-up room, a day-care center, the headquarters of the Barça Veterans Group and a documentation center.
After grabbing a bite at the cafeteria located at the Camp Nou, probably shopping for gifts for friends back home is the thing to do at the FC Barcelona Mega Store. Souvenirs can be collected such as, books, home accessories and for sure the club’s jerseys and clothes.
If you happen to be in Barcelona on the day of a match, you would definitely know. The city comes alive as citizens don their red and blue jerseys and cab drivers all have their radios tuned to the play-by-play. The excitement is contagious, and even if you don’t know Spanish you would definitely sense that something is happening.
The organization at Camp Nou is impressive. Using your tickets, ushers at each of the 19 gates of the stadium will guide you to your seat. Cushions are available for those who look for more comfortable seating. One of the important things to note is that, for the protection for the players and the fans, you cannot carry closed containers into the stadium.
Even if Barça loses, the fans still consider it an exciting match and will congratulate the other team. Therefore, don’t worry about what team you cheer for: Being there will lift your spirits up. Fans of both teams would salute each other and will tease each other in a very friendly way.
Being there and getting along with this huge crowd to watch, cheer and celebrate will be an unforgettable experience.