That Futbol Club Barcelona is one of the top soccer teams in the world is beyond any doubt and so any serious sports fan should pay at least one visit in their life to see them play in their home stadium, the Nou Camp.
FC Barcelona is often known simply as Barça, used to emphasise the hissing Catalan pronunciation rather than the lisp of Castilian Spanish's "Barthelona". While many people visiting Barcelona refer to the town as Barça, you'll find that none of the locals do – it is only reserved for the sports club.
And if you do attend one of FC Barcelona's matches you'll find many of those visitors at the stadium too. The rise in popularity of Barcelona as a short stay destination has resulted from super-cheap flights from EasyJet and Ryanair amongst others, and the rise in fortunes of the club over the last few years since Joan Laporta became president and Ronaldinho came on board has ensured that the number of Barcelona FC tickets sold to tourists has rocketed.
However the team does not start and end with Ronaldinho; Samuel Eto'o is another star of Barça while Lionel Messi is currently tipped as the next Maradona, with his own "goal of the century" to prove it. And let us not forget the goalkeeper Victor Valdes who is widely regarded as one of the best goalies in Spain, team captain Carles Puyol, or the likes of Xavi, Deco or Ludovic Giuly.
1. Passion
If you attend one of the more popular matches at the Nou Camp you'll experience the passion of the local crowd and if it's Real Madrid that Barça are playing then that passion will be on the point of overboiling.
Almost one hundred thousand spectators can be seated at the Nou Camp and when the stadium is full the roar of the crowd can deafen. You'll find people of all ages and backgrounds and if the match coincides with a public holiday in particular then many children will be treated to a match, accompanies by parents or grandparents.
2. Skill
Whether Barça win, lose or draw is always important, but if Ronaldinho is playing on form the final result can sometimes become secondary. With displays of ball control that many footballers practise but rarely put to use in a match situation, Ronaldinho can stun with his football, enjoying himself completely and delighting the crowd.
3. Experience
The Nou Camp is one of the biggest soccer stadiums in the world and going there is an experience all in itself. While football fans should aim to see Barça in action, the stadium is also hugely popular as a tourist destination. In fact the Barça museum is the most visited museum in Catalonia, ahead of Barcelona's Picasso Museum and the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres.
With displays of trophies, documents and photos you can also participate in the stadium tour, which includes visits to the changing rooms, the tunnel and the directors area.
With all that in store how can you call yourself a sports fan and not pay homage to one of the greatest teams on Earth on their home turf?
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