Barcelona’s partially reopened Camp Nou has returned a measure of matchday optimism to the city, while the football team’s free-scoring start has lifted the mood around the club. But a members’ platform, Som un Clam, has urged president Joan Laporta’s board to confront a set of financial, stadium and supporter-access issues after the accounts endorsed at the Ordinary General Assembly on 19 September.
The group said the club can celebrate its sporting momentum without abandoning scrutiny of its leadership. It expressed particular concern that Barcelona have held four successive assemblies remotely and that the latest accounts recorded an €18 million loss, the third consecutive year in deficit.
Som un Clam said those results have left the club with negative equity of €168 million and called for members to be restored to a central role in decisions at an institution they ultimately own. Its proposals have been sent to Laporta, with the platform asking the board to act promptly to protect Barcelona’s assets and members’ rights.
Call for stronger financial oversight
At the centre of the platform’s demands is the revival of Article 67 of Barcelona’s statutes, a provision suspended by the present board. Som un Clam wants defined dates and financial thresholds for its return, arguing that continued approval of accumulated losses conflicts with the need to restore the club’s balance sheet.
The group said an independent review of the accounts would provide reassurance if the recovery is indeed progressing, particularly while Barcelona do not have a chief executive.
Camp Nou costs and season-ticket clarity
The redevelopment of Camp Nou is another major point of contention. Som un Clam called for responsibility to be established among club executives, suppliers and the construction company after the project’s expected cost rose from €900 million to €1.8 billion.
It also pointed to a delay of more than 18 months. The board had previously said it would claim €1 million for every day of delay and presented the scheme as both the quickest and least expensive option, the group said.
For season-ticket holders, Som un Clam wants confirmation before the end of the year of their places in the new Camp Nou and the price of their subscriptions. It noted that VIP areas have already received comparable detail and said the information cannot wait when future income planning already includes these revenues.
The platform also criticised what it described as the board’s recent failure to deliver promised reductions in ticket prices for the match against Real Madrid.
Six measures sought by members’ platform
- Restore Article 67 with clear deadlines and thresholds, alongside independent scrutiny of the club’s finances.
- Examine responsibility for the doubling of the Camp Nou redevelopment budget and the construction delay.
- Tell every season-ticket holder their assigned seat and subscription price before year-end.
- Bring back the children’s passport scheme immediately, allowing at least 3,000 supporters aged under 14 to attend matches at the stadium.
- Re-establish Barcelona’s travel agency and seek a larger allocation of tickets for away fixtures, enabling members and supporters’ clubs to follow the team.
- Publish an immediate plan and timetable for the new Palau Blaugrana.
On the children’s scheme, Som un Clam said bringing young supporters to the ground should take priority over developing theme-park-style attractions. It also wants the travel operation restored so that members and peñas can travel during the team’s strong opening to the campaign.
The future of the Palau Blaugrana, home to Barcelona’s indoor teams, completes the platform’s six-point programme. Som un Clam said the 2021 Espai Barça referendum included the arena within its budget, but that the club now says it was not covered. The group accused the board of having misled members and demanded a clear development schedule, especially for Palau season-ticket holders.
