Barcelona uncover 500 illegal ticket sales by club members ahead of ‘high risk’ Frankfurt clash | OneFootball

A recent report from AS has revealed a serious breach within FC Barcelona’s ticketing system ahead of the high-risk Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. 

According to the outlet, the Catalan club has identified around 500 cases of illegal ticket resales carried out by their own members.

As such, this issue that immediately triggered cancellations and could lead to some of the harshest disciplinary measures available, including expulsion from membership.

There is a valid reason

Barcelona’s vigilance comes from the painful memory of April 2022, when approximately 30,000 Frankfurt fans flooded the Camp Nou during a Europa League fixture. 

Determined to avoid a repeat, the board implemented strict measures for this match, restricting ticket sales exclusively to Barça members and allocating the German side no more than UEFA’s mandated 5% of stadium capacity.

Despite those measures, the club discovered a significant number of members attempting to resell their tickets for profit. 

Camp Nou was flooded with Eintracht Frankfurt fans in 2022. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Barcelona have acted by immediately cancelling all offending tickets and have confirmed that once the full list of violations is finalised, each case will be sent to the Disciplinary Committee.

Barcelona want caution

Given the encounter’s ‘High Risk’ status, the institution has activated enhanced security protocols. 

The club is urging any individuals without valid tickets to avoid travelling to the stadium, stressing that there will be no ticket windows open on matchday. 

Authorities are also implementing strict controls on rival supporters, as German team colours, symbols and apparel may only be worn within the designated away sector.

The Anti-Violence Commission’s guidelines have also been fully applied. These include nominative tickets, a complete ban on away-fan activities within home-supporter zones and blocking online purchases from foreign IP addresses.

Barcelona’s position is uncompromising, and understandably, they are safeguarding the integrity of this important fixture.