Catalan giants FC Barcelona crashed out of the Europa League after a 2-3 loss to their last-eight Eintracht Frankfurt, who dominated the entire game before conceding two stoppage-time goals and a red card to secure a place in the League semifinals, 4-3 on aggregate.
The two teams had met just a week prior in a spirited 1-1 draw at Frankfurt. However, the second leg also felt like it was taking place at Eintracht’s home stadium, as 30,000 visiting fans flooded Camp Nou.
It was a sea of white at the iconic venue in Barcelona, as the Frankfurt supporters revelled in their side’s performance. Oliver Glasner’s men made it 3-0 in the 67th minute as forward Filip Kostic completed his brace to sink Barcelona as the Catalan supporters watched in shock as their side put up a disgraceful performance.
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Many frustrated Barcelona fans staged a walkout even before the game ended, unable to bear the humiliation of the home defeat, in addition to the Frankfurt fans’ sheer delight at their team’s display.
Brawls broke out outside Camp Nou after the game, as disgruntled home fans physically assaulted some of the supporters of the away side. There were also incidents reported that suggested that a number of German fans blocked the exit gates, forcing the locals to watch their team’s exit from the tournament.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta expressed shame and embarrassment over the situation. Only 5,000 tickets were made available for away fans, but what transpired was something completely different. As per ESPN, 30,000 of the nearly 80,000 strong crowd were Eintracht supporters.
“Frankly, what happened today makes me feel embarrassed and ashamed. There were many fans of the other team and not many of ours. I’m very sorry for what has happened.
What we can avoid are certain situations but as of now, we will have to be much more strict. We can’t allow these situations to happen,”
Laporta told Barca TV.
