FC Barcelona took home record gate receipts in El Clasico at the weekend according to RAC1, which cited anonymous sources when reporting the news through Marta Ramon and its X social media account.
The Catalans closed in on the La Liga title and an impressive domestic treble in head coach Hansi Flick’s first season by beating bitter rival Real Madrid 4-3 in the latest edition of the world’s biggest derby.
When Barca went 2-0 down in a quarter of an hour thanks to a Kylian Mbappe double, there were fears that the psychological and physical wear and tear of Tuesday’s painful Champions League semifinal exit to Inter Milan might result in Madrid being let back into the title race.
By half time, though, Barca led 4-2 thanks to a brace from Raphinha and goals from Eric Garcia and teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal.
Though Mbappe completed his hat trick in the second half, the home side held on for a 4-3 triumph and can now wrap up the Spanish top flight title with another victory over crosstown foe Espanyol away at the RCDE Stadium on Thursday.
There is more good news away from the pitch for President Joan Laporta and Co. though, as the gate receipts of $15.3 million (€13.8 million) according to RAC1 smashed a club record.
Record earnings and record attendance for FC Barcelona
Barca’s revenue from the Clasico was no doubt helped by the fact that the cheapest ticket for the match against Madrid was more than $240 (€219) before booking fees, with even members receiving just a 5% discount.
Even so, the previously unheard of amount did not deter matchgoers, who turned out in droves to guarantee a season record attendance of 50,319 punters for a potentially league-deciding affair.
This number surpassed Champions League matches against Inter Milan (50,314) and Bayern Munich (50,312). And when Barca can finally return to its Camp Nou home, these numbers should be passed given that the club is expected to free up at least 60,000 seats to start with.
Thus far, there is no official date for FC Barcelona to return to what should be the biggest stadium in Europe when its renovation started in May 2023 is finally completed.