Barcelona tighten controls to prevent repeat of 2022 Eintracht Frankfurt fan invasion at Camp Nou | OneFootball

Back in 2022, when Eintracht Frankfurt visited Barcelona in the UEFA Europa League, the night turned into one of the most embarrassing episodes in recent Camp Nou history.

What was meant to be a home advantage became a sea of white as nearly 30,000 German fans flooded the stands after purchasing tickets through illegal resale channels. The atmosphere felt like an away fixture, and Barcelona were effectively beaten before the first whistle.

With the two sides now set to meet again at the renovated Spotify Camp Nou, the Catalan club is determined to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

According to Mundo Deportivo, security services accompanying Eintracht Frankfurt have informed Barcelona that around 2,400 supporters will travel with tickets in line with UEFA regulations. In addition, a further 1,000 Frankfurt fans are expected to arrive in the city without a ticket.

Eintracht have instructed their supporters to gather near the Palau Reial metro station between 5:30 pm and 6:15 pm before heading to the stadium under a police escort. Barcelona have confirmed that no additional tickets will be made available to away fans beyond the officially allocated number and that access to the stadium will be strictly controlled.

The club has made the fight against ticket reselling one of the central pillars of its security operation. Internal monitoring systems have already detected fraudulent activity involving 353 club members and eight season ticket holders.

All the affected tickets have been cancelled, and those involved have been officially notified. Their cases will now be reviewed by the Disciplinary Committee, which will determine the corresponding sanctions.

To tighten control even further, Barcelona have restricted ticket sales exclusively to club members to improve traceability. All tickets are being distributed only through the Members App, with the PDF format completely removed to minimise resale risks.

Tickets are also non-transferable, and only the registered holder will be allowed entry. In exceptional personal or family cases, members were required to sign a formal declaration assuming responsibility for proper use.

The memory of 2022 still lingers inside the club and among the supporters. That night, only 5,000 official away tickets were released, yet tens of thousands of Frankfurt fans entered the stadium through resale channels. This time, Barcelona have deployed a maximum security operation to prevent another invasion.

For Hansi Flick and his players, the last thing they want in a crucial Champions League night is to walk out and face another hostile white wall. With qualification for the top eight on the line and the club taking unprecedented precautions, Barcelona are determined that this time, the Camp Nou truly feels like home again.