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Soccer in Catalonia is dominated by one membership with FC Barcelona having grown to change into the most important image of Catalan id over the a long time. Nonetheless anybody planning a soccer journey to Catalonia has loads of choices apart from the usual recreation and stadium tour at Camp Nou, one thing which gained’t even be attainable for the forseeable future because the membership’s well-known previous floor undergoes an enormous revamp. On this Catalonia soccer journey information, we’ll additionally provide the lowdown on the smaller golf equipment throughout the area with ideas for getting round and shopping for tickets.
The Catalonia Soccer Map
Catalonia is break up into 4 separate provinces. By far probably the most well-known and the one with the most important inhabitants and most soccer groups is Barcelona. Inside the metropolitan space of the Catalan capital you will see that prime flight FC Barcelona, in addition to Espanyol who have been relegated to the Segunda Division on the finish of the 2022/23 season. Third tier U. E. Cornellà and Sabadell are additionally located within the province of Barcelona.
There is just one different Catalan membership presently within the prime two divisions and that’s prime flight Girona, though FC Andorra additionally play within the second tier and Catalan is the official language of the tiny principality.
The opposite two Catalan provinces are Tarragona and Lleida. As of the 2023/24 marketing campaign, Gimnàstic de Tarragona presently play within the third tier whereas Lleida Esportiu are a stage decrease down within the Segunda Federación.
Catalonia Soccer Journey – The Golf equipment
The Barcelona Golf equipment
FC Barcelona
Stadium – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (whereas Camp Nou is redeveloped)
Capability – 54,367
Nearest Station – Poble Sec (Barcelona Metro)
With a capability of simply shy of 100,000, Camp Nou was the most important stadium in Europe, nonetheless it’s present process costly redevelopment work which will not be totally accomplished till 2026. As such the town’s previous Estadi Lluís Companys, house of the 1992 Olympics, will probably be Barcelona’s house for the 2023/24 season and probably a lot of the 2024/25 marketing campaign. Located on the highest of Montjuïc Hill which affords spectacular views of the town, it’s an incredible location, however the stadium has actually seen higher days.
The best way to purchase tickets for Barcelona matches:
With a a lot lowered capability, FC Barcelona tickets could also be more durable to come back by till Camp Nou is prepared once more, though the membership’s opening league match at Montjuic solely attracted a crowd of 39,603.
You should buy tickets on-line by way of their web site with costs for upcoming league matches beginning at €49, though that may rise for greater profile video games similar to Champions League fixtures.
Clearly, the favored Camp Nou stadium excursions should not presently operating. Nonetheless the museum continues to be open and will be visited from €28 when purchased on-line, with additional charges for those who purchase on the ticket workplace. The Barça museum is positioned adjoining to Camp Nou and will be accessed by way of Palau Reial, Badal or Collblanco metro stations to the west of the town centre.
Espanyol
Stadium – RCDE Stadium
Capability – 40,000
Nearest Station – Cornellà-Riera or Cornellà (Rodalies de Catalunya)
Espanyol are Barcelona’s second workforce and in reality it’s a distant second. They don’t embrace the Catalan id in the identical method as their rivals and are ceaselessly the butt of jokes amongst Barça supporters who declare Espanyol followers are simply Actual Madrid followers in disguise. Espanyol do have an extended historical past of their very own although, having gained the Copa del Rey 4 occasions whereas they reached the UEFA Cup Closing as lately as 2007.
When you can attain the RCDE Stadium through the use of the Barcelona metro, it’s an extended journey with Espanyol now based mostly outdoors of the town’s official limits in Cornellà. It’s higher to take the sooner Rodalies de Catalunya trains and from the centre of the town you may attain the trendy 40,000 area in round half an hour if beginning out from Plaça de Catalunya or Plaça d’Espanya.
The best way to purchase tickets for Espanyol matches:
Espanyol’s common crowds have been below 21,000 throughout LaLiga 2022/23 and relegation is unlikely to enhance that determine. Because of this, getting tickets for his or her video games is simple and way more inexpensive when in comparison with their metropolis rivals. Costs normally begin at round €20. Verify their ticketing web page to purchase tickets for upcoming matches.
The smaller Barcelona golf equipment
The province of Barcelona can be house to quite a few smaller golf equipment. The largest and most attention-grabbing of the bunch is CE Sabadell. They have been fashioned method again in 1903 and have spent 14 seasons within the prime flight, though they haven’t been there since 1988. Since then they’ve hovered between the second and fourth tiers. Remember that it could actually take round an hour by street or rail to achieve their 12,000 capability stadium within the inland metropolis of Sabadell, effectively away from the centre of Barcelona.
There are different golf equipment that lie solely simply outdoors of the town limits. UE Cornellà are a really small membership that solely reached the third tier for the primary time in 2014. They’re additionally within the 2023/24 Primera Federacion and play on the 1,500 capability Nou Estadi Municipal de Cornella, positioned proper subsequent to the Espanyol stadium.
Barcelona’s B workforce are additionally within the Primera Federacion, whereas heading all the way down to the fourth tier, Badalona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Europa, Manresa, Sant Andreu and Terrassa are choices for decrease league soccer in and round Barcelona.
The Different Catalan Golf equipment
Girona
Stadium – Estadi Montilivi
Capability – 13,450
Nearest Station – Girona Practice Station
Girona could also be a prime flight membership that carries the title of their metropolis and certainly province, however this has by no means traditionally been a giant soccer space. The membership spent a lot of the 2000’s within the Tercera División earlier than a dramatic rise within the 2010’s which culminated in them reaching the Primera for the primary time in 2017. Relegation adopted in 2019, however after three seasons within the second tier, they have been promoted once more and secured a formidable prime half end in LaLiga 2022/23.
Their fanbase continues to be small and a powerful Catalan id, in addition to hyperlinks to Manchester Metropolis, imply they aren’t universally liked inside Spain. Nonetheless Girona is a beautiful small metropolis to go to and their soccer below present boss Michel is normally entertaining to look at.
The best way to purchase tickets for Girona matches:
To go to the Estadi Montilivi your self, you may probably fly into Girona-Costa Brava airport to the south of the town or hop on one of many common trains from Barcelona (the high-speed choices take simply 40 minutes to journey from Barcelona-Sants to Girona’s railway station). The soccer stadium is on the outskirts of city with simply over a 30 minute stroll or a brief bus or taxi trip wanted to achieve it.
Their web site has a superb English part which allows you to see upcoming video games and whether or not tickets are but on sale. Costs begin at €32.50 for upcoming matches when purchased on-line with a lot greater costs possible for the visits of Barcelona or Actual Madrid.
Gimnàstic de Tarragona
Stadium – Nou Estadi
Capability – 14,591
Nearest Station – Tarragona Practice Station
Gimnàstic de Tarragona most likely must be considered because the third greatest membership in Catalonia after the 2 Barcelona sides, though they’ve been very a lot outperformed by Girona in recent times. Generally often called Nàstic, they spent a lot of the twenty first Century within the Segunda División earlier than dropping all the way down to the third tier in 2019.
Tarragona is a gorgeous coastal metropolis with some attractive seashores and it may be reached simply by flying in to close by Reus Airport or by taking a regional prepare from Barcelona (about an hour on regional trains). It’s a really nice 45 minute stroll from the prepare station to the Nou Estadi by the previous Roman elements of the town however it’s possible you’ll choose to take a bus or taxi.
The best way to purchase tickets for Nastic matches:
Demand to look at Primera Federacion soccer will not be nice throughout Spain so it is best to simply be capable of simply present up on match days and purchase a ticket with the stadium’s close to 15,000 capability greater than match for function. In addition they have an on-line ticketing platform.
The Better of the Relaxation
The one actually notable membership within the fourth and by a long way least visited Catalan province is Lleida Esportiu who play on the 13,500 capability Camp d’Esports. Formally they’re a brand new membership, based in 2011 out of the ashes of UE Lleida, who’ve twice featured within the prime flight and twice been relegated (1950/51 & 1993/94). They’re the one Catalan membership outdoors of Barcelona province within the 2023/24 Segunda Federación.
Lastly, we should always give a point out to bold FC Andorra, a membership owned by Barcelona’s Gerard Pique who’ve risen to the second tier in speedy time. Should you fancy a visit to see them play, there are a number of each day buses from Barcelona Nord Station that take a little bit over three hours to achieve the gorgeous principality, nestled excessive up within the Pyrenees.
Groundhopping in Catalonia – Getting Round
Barcelona transport, CC BY 2.0
The town of Barcelona has a massive metro (underground) community that may transport you to mainly anyplace you should get within the metropolis. Nonetheless when it comes to soccer, there’s solely actually Camp Nou that’s finest reached by it. That being stated, you may nonetheless get to the stadiums of Espanyol, Cornellà, Badalona and Prat through the use of the metro and all these golf equipment fall inside Zone 1 of the community with single tickets costing €2.40 whereas you may get a 10-journey cross for €11.35. That is additionally eligible to be used on buses, trams and suburban trains inside Zone 1.
Catalonia additionally has an in depth rail community often called the Rodalies de Catalunya with 18 separate traces. This connects Barcelona with a spread of cities and cities throughout the area. It’s not as common because the metro however the principle traces out and in of Barcelona nonetheless run each ten minutes or so. It’s a faster technique to attain the golf equipment on the outskirts of the town (you should use the identical 10-journey ticket offering you keep in zone 1) and additionally it is probably the most inexpensive technique to get across the wider area. Should you’re planning a giant journey taking in a spread of video games throughout Catalonia, it’s a good suggestion to familiarise your self with the Rodalies community map, which affords inexpensive journey from Barcelona to cities similar to Girona, Tarragona, Sabadell and Lleida.
In case you are extra fearful about time than cash, then you should use the nationwide trains (purchase tickets on Renfe.com) to get between the principle cities. From Barcelona-Sants Station, it’s solely 57 minutes to Lleida and 38 minutes to Girona by way of the high-speed AVE trains. There aren’t any high-speed trains to Tarragona however you may nonetheless attain it in a little bit over an hour by way of the very scenic regional specific line which hugs the coast.
With such a big and inexpensive rail community, there’s not a lot have to journey by bus however there are bus traces protecting most routes too. The one Catalan golf equipment talked about above not accessible by rail are Llagostera and Olot however each will be reached by way of native buses from Girona.
Away from the Soccer
Catalonia actually does have a little bit little bit of every thing so there’s an enormous quantity to see and do away from the soccer. The town of Barcelona is the beating coronary heart of the area and one in all Europe’s most interesting cities. It’s full of the structure of Antoni Gaudí with the world well-known Sagrada Familia the principle attraction. E-book your tickets on-line for those who plan to go to to save cash and never waste time queuing. The gorgeous Park Güell is one other main spotlight with nice views throughout the town whereas there are a bunch of full of life districts to discover and whereas elements of the town are utterly overrun by tourism, it’s not not possible to get a style for the true Barcelona.
The town does have seashores, however the very best Catalan ones lie effectively away from Barcelona. The Costa Brava which runs by the province of Girona to the French border is filled with picturesque seaside cities and fishing villages whereas you can even discover some attractive and far quieter seashores within the space round Tarragona. There are additionally a number of livelier vacationer resorts similar to Lloret de Mar and Salou for those who’re seeking to match some soccer round a bundle vacation.
The precise cities of Girona and Tarragona are effectively value exploring for a day too. Each have fairly previous cities with Girona’s riverside setting and vibrant buildings making it one of the crucial engaging in Spain. Tarragona is one other historic metropolis, stuffed with little plazas whereas its well-preserved Roman colosseum is its foremost attraction.
There are additionally a great deal of nice mountaineering routes in Catalonia which is significantly extra hilly and spectacular than most of Spain. Near Barcelona, the weird rock formation and mountain-top monastery at Montserrat, makes it a preferred day-trip vacation spot. There are many different nice choices although the place you may discover the scenic countryside at your personal tempo and for those who actually wish to escape the crowds, head to the a lot much less visited province of Lleida, the gateway to the Pyrenees.
This put up on Catalonia soccer journey was revealed in March 2020.
When you’ve got any questions on visiting Catalonia for soccer causes, be happy to get in contact.
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