The absence of the Grada d'Animació at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is one of the hot topics at FC Barcelona. For months, the animation groups have been banned from the Catalan stronghold due to the non-payment of a €21,000 fine imposed by UEFA for chants during matches last season, and although the fans have requested the recovery of the space, the board has remained inflexible on the matter.
The match against Rayo Vallecano was the ninth at Montjuïc where the Grada has no access, prompting a section of the fans to display a banner that read "Volem la grada d'animació" (We want the animation stand), which was shown in the 12th minute, symbolically representing the '12th player', and was only displayed for four minutes.
Amid this debate, the blue-and-burgundy entity has announced the start of a participatory process for the creation of a permanent animation space at the new Spotify Camp Nou. The board, led by Joan Laporta, will open a dialogue with all those who may be interested in the implementation of this stand to reach an agreement on its establishment.
This was reported by the club through a statement on its official website, where they revealed the different phases of the project and the plan to activate it if the members, players, staff, and experts in the field give their approval. This process will also be managed by a company with "experience in animation, mediation, and participatory processes that will promote dialogue and the exchange of ideas", always under the supervision of the blue-and-burgundy institution.
The FC Barcelona statement on the creation of a new animation space
"FC Barcelona will promote a participatory process aimed at creating a permanent animation space at the new Spotify Camp Nou.
The idea that the entity is working on, which today received the support of the Board of Directors in its monthly meeting, is to start a dialogue process with all stakeholders who may have an interest in an animation stand, from members to players, including club staff and even stand experts.
FC Barcelona wants to listen to everyone and invites anyone who wants to express their opinion on this matter to reach a consensus with all segments related to animation, so it will soon initiate meetings to start a constructive dialogue that should have the following timelines:
- June/July: approval of the new format.
- August/September: specification of the new animation space, as well as its members.
To activate this project, the Club will outsource the process to a company with experience in animation, mediation, and participatory processes that will promote dialogue and the exchange of ideas, and that will finalize the project, always under the auspices of FC Barcelona.
FC Barcelona will inform and explain all the steps that the Club will take to carry out this initiative".