In the world of football, few clubs have as big and as global of a fanbase as the one that FC Barcelona has. The Catalan giants, throughout the years that have passed, have amassed a global legion of devoted fans who support the club from every end of the globe. Ultimately, Barcelona remains ‘Mes Que Un Club’, and the fans are a big reason why.
However, that does not give them the right to do whatever they please and whenever they please to do it. When it comes to football, some things are truly bigger than the game itself and must be kept away from the sport at all costs. From personal insults to derogatory statements to racism, football is beyond that.
Unfortunately, having a massive fanbase means that clubs like FC Barcelona often have to deal with fans that do not seem to get the memo. Such has been the case in recent times, as the club has been fined by the likes of UEFA, La Liga and the Generalitat over misconduct-related reasons.
As a result, according to MARCA, the club has demanded the accumulated fines from last season from their supporters’ section. This amount reportedly totals to around €21,000, and Barcelona are clear that this amount must come directly from the supporters’ section that was responsible for these misconduct-related penalties.
The section in question is primarily comprised of four main groups which include Front 532, Almogavers, Supporters Barça, and Nostra Ensenya, and they have reportedly reached an agreement in the past with the club that dictates that such fines will have to come directly from their own pockets. These groups reportedly occupy close to 500-600 of the seats during Barça’s games, and the club now feels the need to be stricter with their measures related to them.
It is perhaps even more important to resolve this issue ahead of the Barcelona derby against Espanyol that is coming up next at the Montjuic Stadium. Known to be a heated affair, La Blaugrana do not wish for it to become a target for the likes of La Liga and other organizations again to penalize the club. Moreover, with the club enjoying a great run of form, especially after the recent El Clasico, they do not want any unwanted issues becoming a long-term hindrance.
So far, the fines in the past have been paid in full by Barcelona themselves. However, to make things as clear as possible, the club will now start holding them accountable for these actions. They reportedly have around 15 more days to respond to the club’s demands or further action may end up being taken.