Very soon, perhaps too soon, the Barça fans began their first excursion of many to Montjuïc on Tuesday. The Blaugrana parish got up early even earlier than what the club and the City Council recommended. An excessive precaution that led to some disorientation at first, but which facilitated a staggered arrival at the Estadi Lluís Companys to enjoy the Joan Gamper Trophy.
The early risers were seen in Plaza Espanya with the sun still up. A few minutes after 5:00 p.m. a municipal crane passed between the two Venetian towers on Avenida Maria Cristina. He was followed by two members of the Urban Guard who parked their motorcycles on the sidewalk. A preview of what awaited the cars on the magic mountain.
The agents, turned into information points, were questioned by a group of six stadium security guards who were arriving late. “When do the free shuttle buses leave?” asked one of them, who found the answer to be “I don’t know”. Do you know what type of bus it is?, two TMB employees later asked. A lone Barça worker approached the scene and clarified that the first bus left at 6:00 p.m., two hours before the game as stipulated. “The first day is the worst, everything is new,” one of the security members resigned. “I should be there in 4 minutes,” exclaimed another club employee, in a suit and with a pin of the club’s shield.
The agents also demonstrated their English skills with a tourist wearing a Yankees cap. The question became a mantra: “Where do the buses leave from?” A reasonable doubt, since there was no awning or signage indicating the stop. “Unfortunate”, complained a culé. The club worker was then in charge of granting a parking spot to the shuttle, now helped by four young men in shirts who later checked, in a lax way, the entrance to the game of the bus users.
Soon, people gathered in the narrowest part of the avenue, under the harsh summer sun. First there were more than 50. Then there were more than 100. And finally, with more than 200 people waiting, two buses arrived at 6:05 p.m. Not a minute had passed before there was already a third party waiting. Everything started to flow. The queue, a mix between tourists and traditional culés, slowly dwindled. They reached the stadium in 14 minutes. Meanwhile, the crane came down from the mountain with a prize. They made the day of the owner of a Renault bitter.
Others preferred to stretch their legs. “Today is the day to test how long it takes to get there on foot,” commented a veteran Camp Nou season ticket holder, of whom he goes to the Gamper despite not having renewed his seat. “Very difficult,” he added before heading up the escalator. The Barcelona procession spoke all languages. Without special signage to guide the most clueless, people were guided by a maxim: follow the crowd.
Some street vendors tried to make August by offering beers and water along the way. With the same product but with more comfort, the bar located before reaching the MNAC attracted more customers. “It’s quite a walk,” a father told his youngest son, dressed in a Lewandowski jersey. Resales were not lacking. “Tickets,” they yelled. 17 minutes after starting the ascent, the music of a DJ, hired by the Gamper, enlivened the final meters.
“Why is his name Lluís Companys?” a child asked his mother in Catalan about the former president of the Generalitat, shot by the Franco regime on Montjuïc, when he saw his name on the stadium façade. The wide esplanades of the Olympic ring allowed the fans to circulate calmly. Nothing to do with the surroundings of the Camp Nou. The blaugrana shirts stood out in the crowd and the one from Inter Miami slipped through. Messi’s name, which was supposed to be played over the public address system at the team’s presentation, was only seen on the Florida team’s elastics.
Those who chose other routes, from Foc street or with the funicular, converged at the gate of the stadium. The rest easily reached the designated car parks by motorcycle and car, and even the green and blue area near the MNAC, which in principle should be restricted. Except for entrances 7 and 8, with more people accumulated than normal, the entrances to the stadium successfully channeled the 35,224 people who entered. There were hardly any last-minute queues. Test passed. However, we will have to see what happens on a Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. in a Champions League match.
