Barcelona are aiming to beat their record matchday income against Real Madrid when the two sides meet at Camp Nou on Sunday, with only a small number of tickets remaining three days before kick-off.
The stadium is preparing to host its second Clasico since Barcelona returned from their temporary home at Montjuic while renovation work began at Camp Nou. As has become customary for major fixtures, the ground will stage a large mosaic across the stands.
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the display is being organised in collaboration with all of the club’s supporters’ groups. However, Barcelona have kept its message secret so it can be unveiled as a surprise before the match.
The tradition of covering the stadium with a mosaic was started by the Penya Almogavers supporters’ group in 1992. It has since become an established feature of Barcelona’s biggest games, adding a visual spectacle to the Clasico.
The previous Clasico at Camp Nou took place on 10 May and ended in a 2-0 victory for Barcelona, who secured the La Liga title with that result. On that occasion, the first and second tiers were filled with blue and red cards forming the club’s crest and the words “FORCA BARCA”.
That fixture also produced Barcelona’s highest ticket revenue for a match against Real Madrid. A crowd of 62,213 generated €16.5m in ticket sales, setting the benchmark the club now wants to surpass.
Barcelona believe the expanded VIP seating capacity could help them establish a new record. Since the beginning of this month, when the club resumed playing home matches at Camp Nou, the second tier has included four complete rows of VIP seats running around the entire stadium.
That represents an increase from the one or two VIP rows previously available. Demand has been strong, however, and only a handful of seats remain available with three days to go before the match.
Ticket prices have also risen sharply under Barcelona’s dynamic pricing system, which adjusts costs according to demand. General admission initially started at €299 behind the goals and €1,092 in the main stand.
Those prices have since increased to between €1,109 in the first tier and €2,099 in the central section of that tier. VIP tickets begin at €2,400, while the most expensive luxury seats cost €8,000 and are positioned directly behind the substitutes’ benches.
With Camp Nou expected to be full, Barcelona’s target is to move beyond the €16.5m total generated by the May Clasico.