November 13th 2010
With Saints making the long trip to Carlisle, my brother and I decided this would be the perfect weekend to achieve a lifetime ambition to watch a match at the Nou Camp, Barcelona.
Getting a ticket to watch arguably the best team in the world at their historic home proved to be an easy task. We arrived at the Nou Camp at 2pm, a full 8 hours before kickoff and the place was already buzzing. The queue at one of the many ticket offices was short and soon we had the magic tickets in our hands. Then the fun bit, walking around the stadium and surrounding area. For once I had become something I hate; yes I had become a Plastic, Jonny Come Lately, Fan!
The club shop was our first stop and we could only admire the thought and effort that had been put into the layout and products at the shop. This truly is a club that is geared towards maximising its commercial enterprises. You could buy countless products all bearing the club crest, only problem was the price, 75 Euros for a replica shirt! Included in the complex is the club museum which holds many trophies and other memorabilia linked to the history of this famous club.
 |
| Club shops should all be like this! |
We came back to the stadium about 3 hours before kickoff to take in some of the atmosphere. You would think that a club which has a massive worldwide following and thus numerous plastic fans (Tourists) would struggle to create an atmosphere, much like Old Trafford, but you’d be very wrong. All the fans were equally excited to be about to take part in a major sporting event. The area outside the stadium was awash with people all taking photos of the ground and local vendors seemed to be reaping the rewards as euro’s were spent by the thousands.
 |
| The view from inside the ground. |
We entered the ground and took our seats, Luck had it that we were behind the South goal and only about 10 rows back. The view was spectacular and compared to Wembley stadium a lot steeper! The top tier at the stadium seemed miles in the air, but I’ve been told the view from that height is still a great view. The players in Spain don’t warm up like the teams over here. They only appeared 30 minutes before kickoff for a quick stretch and some very impressive ball juggling. The opposition players of Villarreal were greeted with deafening whistling and jeering as they took to the pitch to warm up. The home fans seemed intent on bursting the opposition’s ear drums with their incessant whistling. Then the moment I had been waiting for, the entrance of the home side. It has been tradition at Barcelona to sing the Catalan anthem as the players step onto the pitch. Having seen this on TV I was looking forward to seeing it live and all I can say is that I was not let down. Every fan was singing at the top of their voices as the words were projected onto the big screen. I think it was on par with the emotion I felt singing “God Save the Queen” at Wembley with Saints.
 |
| The club crest on display. |
The game started as expected with the magical midfield of Barca dominating with their intelligent and quick passing style, much like the Spanish national team. Any team that can have a player like Xavi in it and still have players who are considered better must be some team. Messi, Villa and Pedro were causing all sorts of problems for the defence of the El Submarino Amarillo which translates to the Yellow Submarine. Barca took the lead when David Villa, for whom they paid over 40m Euro’s, slotted home from close range following good work from the ever classy Iniesta. David Villa is a striker who has realised that at Barca you don’t have a set position in the attacking third of the pitch. You play where you need to and let the midfield tee you up for the many chances you get. Some people are obsessed with talking about formations and how a 4-4-2 is better than a 4-3-3 / 4-5-1, but this team play with no focal point in their attack, instead undoing even a tight defence with sheer movement and intelligent passing. A joy to watch I can assure you. Villarreal equalized with an equally impressive goal as Nilmar finished following a counter attack, a controversial goal in the eyes of the Nou camp faithful who were enraged at a poor offside decision against Barca. The jeers and whistling were like anything I had never heard before. There was pure hatred in the fans voices as the famous white hankies were waved in the direction of the officials. 1-1 at half time and the second half couldn’t get much better.
The second period started just like the first, Sergio, Iniesta and Xavi pulling the Villarreal defence and midfield apart allowing Messi to start to influence the game. Barca took the lead when Messi played 2 on two’s and then with his so called weaker foot lifted the ball over the on rushing Diego Lopez. Messi added another later in the half to wrap up the 3 points, but I have to say, Barca could have scored many more goals. They even had the audacity to replace Xavi with a full 20 minutes remaining. A true master class was witnessed by me. Something I will never forget. The stadium erupted with noise at the final whistle. With atmospheres like this, it’s easy to see why the Nou Camp has become a fortress for Barca.
 |
| My brother and I, Pre-match! |
People wonder why Spain have become such a force in world football, it’s simple, they trust their talents. How many players would make it to the very top of the game in England weighing next to nothing and being 5ft 5 inches tall? The answer is unfortunately not many. At Barca they have a small side that make bigger, stronger players look like fools. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta have all come through the club academy and have an undoubted love of the club. They may be small but will chase all night to win the ball back and create the flowing football we have all come to love. The focus in most European countries is all about pace, strength and power. It makes a refreshing change to watch such artists weave their magic and not worry about how hard they’ll be kicked by the opposition, because they know eventually they will get the better of them.
I have to say I truly enjoyed my Nou Camp experience and can now tick that one off my list of things to do. I highly recommend the trip to all and will say it ranks up there with watching Saints at Wembley and around the UK.
Sorry if I have rambled on a bit this time but I wanted you to have an insight into one of my best football experiences.
A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.
Special thanks to my very good friend Alan who is helping spread the word by advertising this blog on his own website. Please visit www.bellsofhythe.co.uk for all your outdoor sports needs!
All the best & Adios!
Neel
