When it looked like Barcelona were having a strong finish to the 2021-22 season, a shocking UEFA Europa League elimination reminded everyone how much work the club still hasto do. Eintracht Frankfurt not only humiliated the hosts on the pitch, but more particularly on the stands.
Curiously, being eliminated from the Europa League quarterfinals at home was not the most disappointing thing that happened on Thursday night for the Cules. It was thefact that they were practically outnumbered by away supporters at the Camp Nou what upset the Catalans more than the defeat.
Nearly 30,000 have infiltrated home sections of the La Liga giant’s stadium, making it look like Barca were playing on the road rather than on their own territory. That obviously didn’t sit well with the diehard Barcelona fans, who have once again decided to protest against that situation during their team’s La Liga game against Cadiz.
Barcelona ultras’ controversial protest against Cadizafter Frankfurt episode
Barcelona fangroup Grada d’Animacio has shown its frustration last week by leaving the stadiumwhen it saw how many away fans gained access to the Camp Nou when they originally had only 5,000 tickets for the Europa League clash.
It didn’t end there, though, as the supporters’ group decided to boycott Barca’s next game against Cadiz on Matchday 32 of La Liga. How? Bynot attending the matchand once again leaving those seats empty.
“Last Thursday we experienced a day that will be marked forever as the greatest infamy at our home,” the fan group said in a statement, as quoted by Goal. “As fans and members of FC Barcelona we have experienced many victories and many defeats on the field of play, but as a fan group, we have experienced a social humiliation that we will never forget.
Barca fan group Grada d’Animacio decided not to attend the Cadiz game to protest about the Eintracht Frankfurt episode. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
“It is difficult for us to understand how an invasion announced for weeks has gone unnoticed by the security department. We wonder if they have been caught by surprise or if inaction has been promoted to get €3million at the box office.”
The fan group added that they were lucky that Frankfurt fans were not very ‘conflictive,’ as it could have been worse with another group of away supporters. They also said they know how important they are for the team, as theirsupport can work as the team’s 12th player, but that they can’t pretend like nothing happened.
“The events that took place on Thursday meant that we were forced to take action, as we did during the match and on other occasions, and that is precisely why we will not attend the next match between Barcelona and Cadiz. We are convinced that, as members and fans of FC Barcelona, we cannot ever allow again a remotely similar situation, and we ask the parties involved to remember that not everything in life is a few million, especially if we talk about a club that has as a motto ‘more than a club’.”
Xavi Hernandez and Joan Laporta also looked very upset with the presence of so many Eintracht fans and the club promised to look carefully into it so that this never happens again in the future.
