A Clásico to remember

One of the red-letter days in Barça history was 25 December 1970, when the first women’s football match was played at Camp Nou. Another will be 30 March 2022, when the Barça women’s team will play against none other than Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter final at the same venue. The blaugrana are looking to become European champions for the second year in a row, and in doing do set a new attendance record. Jonatan Giráldez’s side will need all the support they can get from fans and members of both sexes.

The Camp Nou is preparing a mosaic to welcome the team onto the pitch. The fans have responded amazingly, with the first tickets selling out two months ahead of the game. Members were given 24 hours to book up to four free seats each, only paying the handling fee. After that period, non-members could also buy tickets for prices ranging from 9 to 15 euros.

The remaining 6,000 tickets to see the women’s Clásico went on sale on March 17, and the last ones are still available for any fans who want to be there for the big occasion.

Day of solidarity

March 30 will also be a charity event, whereby the club is calling on fans coming to the game to bring baby food to the various collection points around the ground to support children that have been displaced by the war in Ukraine.

In association with the Red Cross, there will be marquees open from 2pm to 7pm at Accesses 15, 9 and 1, where such products as powdered baby milk, powdered baby cereals, baby food, children’s snacks and biscuits and fruit juices will be gathered.

Second game at Camp Nou

This will be the second time that the treble winning women’s team have played in the stadium. In January 2021, they played the league derby against Espanyol at the Camp Nou to mark the 50^th anniversary of the first women’s game ever played at the venue, featuring a City of Barcelona Select team.

Because of Covid-19 restrictions, that game had to be played behind closed doors. But this time the Camp Nou’s gates will be open and the aim is to attract the biggest possible crowd for such a vital game as a Champions League quarter final.

Impeccable Champions League

The side coached by Jonatan Giráldez have been marching relentlessly through the tournament. They won their group with six wins in six games, scoring 24 goals and conceding just one. And as fate would have it, Barça drew Real Madrid, who finished second in their own group, in the first knockout round, meaning the first ever European Clásico against a side that is contesting the UWCL for the first time.

The prize for the winners is a game against the winner of Arsenal v Wolfsburg. The games in the other side of the draw are Bayern Munich v PSG and Juventus v Olympique Lyonnais.

Camp Nou getting ready

The club is arranging a series of free activities outside the ground on the weekends building up to the big game on March 30.

On the weekend of March 26-27, there are games for adults and children, such as 3x3  basketball and futsal matches on specially fitted courts, and braver visitors can try out their skills in the skate park.

The idea is for friends and family to do something different with their weekends, while also enjoying the other catering and leisure facilities along Rambla del Barça, including Barça Café, which welcome visitors coming in through Access 9.

There will also be music, including freestyle rap contests featuring different women’s groups from around the city. Sunday brings a particularly special guest judge, NG, considered one of the finest rising talents on the current freestyle scene, who receives thousands of visitors to her YouTube ‘battles’.

There will also be guest DJs performing every Saturday and Sunday from 3pm to 7pm.

Parking only for those with passes

Spectators will not be able to park their vehicles on the club grounds unless they have a parking pass for the current season. On this occasion, parking pass holders will not be able to park in their usual zone, and should follow instructions of club staff when parking their vehicles.