Barcelona sell just half of tickets for first game with crowd in 17 months after bombshell Lionel Messi sale
BARCELONA have suffered a shock drop in ticket sales following the departure of talisman Lionel Messi.
The Argentina superstar’s summer exit has left some fans unwilling to see their team without the six-time Ballon d’Or-winning captain.
Just 15,820 Nou Camp devotees have purchased tickets for the side’s first home game of the new LaLiga season against Real Sociedad.
The Daily Mail reports this figure is only half of the 30,000 seats available for punters.
And the stark ticket sales decline has been compounded by the fact Barca’s clash with Real Sociedad will see supporters return to the Nou Camp for the first time in a year and five months following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The team’s last competitive match attended by fans was a March 2020 league clash with Real Sociedad with Messi, 34, netting a penalty to seal a 1-0 victory.
This month the playmaker sealed a dramatic free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in a two-year deal that is expected to earn him £92.6million.
Barcelona endured a tumultuous season prior to the departure of their skipper who is regarded as one of the world’s greatest ever players.
Most read in Football
DREAM TEAM IS BACK!
The club, who finished third in Spain’s top-flight last term, endured a humiliating Champions League quarter-final exit after being thrashed 8-2 by Bayern Munich over two legs.
And the Catalan giants have been battling to clear an enormous wage bill in a bid to ease their financial burden.
This follows of the club being in debt to the tune of £1bn in January this year.
Ronald Koeman’s side had hoped to retain the services of Messi with some fans hoping to see their all-time top scorer back at the Nou Camp this term.
BETTING SPECIAL - GET MO SALAH TO SCORE ONE OR MORE GOALS IN AUGUST AT 20/1
However, the star’s departure appears to have dampened the enthusiasm of fans who have been waiting to return to the famous stadium for months.
It is reported local government official’s easing of Covid-19 regulations will enable 28,803 supporters to return to the Nou Camp which has a capacity of 99,000
However Spanish newspaper AS, claims only 15,820 of the club’s season ticket holders applied for tickets for Barca’s game against Real Sociedad
Read our Transfer news live blog for the very latest rumours, gossip and done deals