What a huge black and white Frankfurt party in Barcelona!
30,000 fans came by plane, car, train and ship to experience the unique day of their unity in the Europa League quarter-finals at the great FC Barcelona. It was worth it: Eintracht won a terrific game 3-2 and are in the semifinals against West Ham.
One of the greatest evenings in German European Cup history: absolute Eintracht madness! But Barcelona steps up after the sensational exit – you don’t want to experience such an away game in your own stadium again.
Background: Of the 30,000 Eintracht fans in the city, a good 25,000 somehow managed to get a ticket. Although only 5 000 tickets officially went from Barca to Frankfurt!
Barca President Laporta boiled over his own club’s planning mistake: “What happened in the stands is a disgrace that must not happen again. We will take action and explain it. I was ashamed today,” Laporta said.
Photo: Joan Monfort / dpa
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/war-nach-der-frankfurt-party-im-camp-nou-bedient-praesident-joan-laporta-76f00a8ffe08489e9ee447c231e69bd9-79781188/Bild/ 6.image.jpg”/> Was served after the Frankfurt party at the Camp Nou: President Joan LaportaPhoto: Joan Monfort / dpa
Barca coach Xavi also reacted angrily to RTL, comparing the game to a final in which half the fans were for one team and the other half were for the other team. Something like that shouldn’t happen at home in such an important game. “I expected 70,000 or 80,000 Barça fans, but that wasn’t the case,” said the coach. “It was a great help for Frankfurt. We cannot control who the tickets are sold to.”
And further: “A planning error. The players and I also want to know how it came about. We had to go through hell in Frankfurt. And they felt at home here…”
The result: While still in the stadium, spectators in the stands called on President Laporta to resign because they saw him as the cause of the Frankfurt invasion.
One scene in particular shows how deep the frustration was: Barca’s hardcore fans behind the goal leave their block during the break. Ten minutes of yawning emptiness – obviously a protest because so many Frankfurters are in the stadium.
Some others go straight home, feeling uncomfortable with Frankfurt’s superiority in the stadium. Even spectators in Barca’s so-called animation grandstand left the stadium. But that could hardly be heard from the 25,000 Eintracht fans anyway.
Foto: Getty Images
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/ungewohntes-farbenspiel-im-camp-nou-hier-regiert-die-sge-68fb32ad530c448ab37ad9df88e5a6f2-79781206/Bild/6.bild.jpg” /> Unusual play of colors in the Camp Nou: the SBU rules hereFoto: Getty Images
How did the home game at Barca come about?
Frankfurt had received less than 5,000 tickets. However, numerous supporters secured cards in other ways, for example using foreign credit cards.
There were also tons of tips circulating in the Eintracht forums from die-hard ground hoppers on how to get tickets in Spanish classifieds portals…
And: Apparently, many Barca fans also assumed that their team would clearly progress, did not go to the stadium, but took the opportunity to make money from their tickets.
Anyone who was a Frankfurt fan willing to spend 100 to 200 euros had a great chance of being there live at the Camp Nou.
And was offered an unforgettable Euro night in return…
