With the Barcelona presidential elections approaching, candidate Victor Font has placed season ticket pricing at the centre of the debate.
Just days before the vote, the former pre-candidate presented what he described as the flagship proposal of his social project, a system that could reduce season ticket prices by up to 75% at Spotify Camp Nou if certain conditions are met.
Speaking while outlining his vision, Font made it clear that this initiative is a key pillar of his campaign.
“Today, we are explaining our flagship proposal for the social project, which is season tickets,” he began, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
He stressed that the idea was not developed in isolation but was influenced by different voices from within the Barcelona community.
“We have attracted different types of knowledge and sensibilities about the social reality of the club to the pre-candidacy.”
Focusing on the members
At the heart of Font’s proposal is a loyalty-based attendance model designed to bring members back to the stadium regularly.
He believes the emotional connection with the club has weakened in recent years and wants to rebuild it.
“We want a Camp Nou full of members and to recapture the feeling of going to the stadium, with a fixed seat and no rotation.”
The system would allow each season ticket holder to register three friends or family members without tickets at the beginning of the campaign.
“The season ticket holder and those three guests count as one season ticket holder, and if they achieve a minimum attendance rate of 80% at matches, they will receive a 50% discount the following season,” he added.
Then there’s discount
Victor Font has promised discounted season tickets. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Font then explained how the discount could increase further.
“If that group reaches 80% attendance again in the second season, the discount would be 75%, which is the final price we are proposing.”
However, he clarified that failure to meet the attendance target would result in the ticket returning to full price the following year.
Font also criticised recent commercial strategies, arguing they prioritised short-term revenue over member loyalty.
“In the last decade, members have been encouraged to give up their seats so that the club could market them to people who were just passing through.
“We want to do just the opposite,” he argued.
Questioning the recent model
Font also questioned pricing during the club’s temporary stay at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys and plans for the return to Spotify Camp Nou.
“Members are treated like tourists. We have to pay over a hundred euros to watch a game against Oviedo. And then they complain that members are demotivated.”
Addressing financial concerns, Font estimated the proposal would cost around €10 million per season, reducing season ticket revenue from €45 million to €35 million.
“We assume that the annual cost of this policy would be around €10 million.”
Lastly, while downplaying the impact, he added,
“It has little impact on a club with Barça’s budget and can be offset by hospitality, VIP boxes, and audiovisual and digital business,” he concluded.