“It is a tradition that the fan club from the country in question organizes a dinner for the management and on the day of the match organizes a gathering of all Barcelona fans in the city,” explains Jakub Koutný, the former long-time vice president of the Czech Barcelona fan club. can participate in the election of the president and has easier access to tickets.
Although the Pilsen dinner was more modest than the one in October 2019 before the Barcelona match at Slavia, the scenario was similar. Czech classics were eaten (Mr. Macia and his wife had duck), pilsner was drunk and the fans gave a gift that should go to the club museum at Camp Nou. “The reconstruction of the stadium is approaching, connected with the enlargement of the museum, so maybe our crystal glasses will fit there,” smiles Koutný.
For illustration: the Czech fan club has around 350 members and is among the fifteen largest in the world. Several new members were added after the summer draw of the Champions League, when it was clear that Barcelona would come to the Czech Republic. “Seeing Barca at home is always a great holiday. Marching to the stadium and cheering in the cauldron are an extra experience, even though it won’t be much in this match,” Koutný refers to the situation in the group. Barcelona will currently finish third and will be in the European League in the spring, while the last Pilsen will remain without cups. “It should roughly 150 Czech fans will arrive, and there will be about 350 of us in the sector altogether,” Koutný explains.
He was recently in Barcelona himself, applauding a hard-fought 1-0 league win over Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou three weeks ago. For him, trips to Catalonia are a matter of the heart and a necessity: he pays a membership fee once a year, which this year amounts to 195 euros (4,800 crowns). “After President Laporta took office last year, the rules are more relaxed, anyone can become a member of the club. You don’t have to be a Catalan or an active member of a fan club for three years like you used to,” Koutný explains.
Photo: Facebook
Festive dinner of Czech Barcelona fans with Josep Macia, who heads the department for fan clubs in Barcelona.Photo: Facebook
This autumn is an embarrassing one for Barcelona: in the domestic league they are fighting for the lead with Real (they are currently second by a point) and they have lasted only six matches in the Champions League. “It was expected that Bayern would advance from our strong group and that we would be better than Inter. But we won only one point with him. The turning point was the national team break in September, when about five players were injured, most of them from the defense,” explains Koutný.
In the spring, he will keep his fingers crossed for Barcelona in the Europa League, which the blue-red team has never won before. Not even the old UEFA Cup. “We already had a chance this spring, but we were eliminated in the quarter-finals against Frankfurt,” reminds Koutný. “In any case, the trophy must be won this season. Otherwise, coach Xavi and maybe some of the stars would not be able to stop.”
Barcelona is experiencing a gray period, for example, they last dominated the Spanish league in 2019. “I would like to win the title, but I’m not 100 percent convinced of it,” says Koutný. “We play better than Real, but injuries hold us back. We don’t have as wide a squad as richer big clubs like City, PSG or Bayern. We are picking ourselves up from the bottom and the club is still in development, which will take some time.”
But now back to Pilsen: how will Tuesday’s game turn out, Jakub? “Under normal circumstances, a Barcelona win would be on offer, but I’d rather see it as a 1:1 draw. Plzeň does not want to finish the group without a point, and those who do not play regularly will get a chance here. It can be carefree football without a winner.”
