Barcelona – In a city renowned for its passionate football culture, one club’s story stands out not for triumphs on the pitch, but for a decades-long struggle for a place to call home. Unió Esportiva Sants, a historic club deeply rooted in the Sants neighborhood, finds itself increasingly disconnected from its community, a consequence of not having a permanent stadium for generations. The situation highlights a growing tension between the evolving landscape of Barcelona and the enduring spirit of its local football clubs.
“We are a neighborhood club that doesn’t play in its neighborhood,” says Artur Balaux, a lifelong Sants fan and the club’s historical memory curator. “The team was born and grew around the historic center of Sants, but for many years it has competed far from there.” Currently, the first team plays its home matches at Camp de la Bàscula, although the youth teams are scattered across three different fields – Camp de la Bàscula, Energia, and Ibèria – all located in the Marina de Port district, near the Zona Franca industrial area. This geographical disconnect is impacting more than just convenience. it’s eroding the club’s identity and fan base.
“Many times people ask me, ‘How is it that Sants doesn’t play in Sants?’ And I tell them, ‘We simply don’t have a stadium,’” explains Joan Forcadell, the club’s president. “We have been exiled from our home and are becoming increasingly uprooted from the neighborhood.” This separation has broken the generational link between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, leading to a decline in local support, according to Balaux, the club’s member number 18. The dwindling fan base is compounded by significant rental expenses – approximately 25% of the club’s annual budget is allocated to leasing the three fields – and has translated into on-field struggles. The first team has fallen from Tercera RFEF to Primera Catalana, two levels down, and currently finds itself in a relegation position in Segona Catalana. In 2023, Sants competed against local rivals Europa and Sant Andreu; current trends suggest they could be five divisions below those teams next season.
The Nomadic Team of Barcelona
UE Sants, a founding member of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya – the leader’s jersey mirroring the club’s green and white striped shirt – is a century-old club established in 1922 through the merger of four different sports entities. The club has come close to reaching Segunda División on several occasions. Until 1964, Sants played at the stadium on Carrer Galileu, but was forced to abandon it due to a decree from the Barcelona City Council and the construction of Avenida de Madrid. This marked the beginning of a nomadic existence. The club moved to Sarrià, where complaints from Kubala and Di Stéfano of Espanyol about morning matches damaging the pitch led to another relocation. Further moves followed to L’Hospitalet, the old Sardenya stadium (formerly home to Europa), and even the facilities of FC Barcelona.
The club’s survival hinged on the efforts of Vicenç Febrer – a prominent Sants resident who served as a city councilor, was a boxer, a Spanish free-fighting champion, and owned a well-known automobile dealership featuring a lion in its showroom. In 1975, Febrer secured a novel home for Sants at Camp de Julià de Capmany, built on a former quarry and landfill site in the Polvorí de Montjuïc neighborhood. Disagreements with neighbors and leaders of Polvoritense led to another departure, and in 1984, the club inaugurated Camp de la Magòria, built on the site of a former railway station.
The Return Home…Delayed
Magòria seemed like a permanent solution, a dignified location close to the heart of the neighborhood. However, 25 years later, Sants was once again evicted by the City Council, which had purchased the land from the Generalitat during the economic crisis and had plans to redevelop the area. Since then, the club’s diaspora has continued, having played home matches at nine different grounds throughout its history. “In 2009, we were told that we could return to Magòria in four or five years… and we are still waiting,” Forcadell laments. “In fact, since 1964, we’ve been going up and down.” He firmly believes that returning to Magòria, their long-held aspiration, will restore much of the prestige and fan base the club has lost.
“The construction project is approved, and as far as we know, it should start in 2027, but we don’t have a firm date to return to play at Magòria,” Forcadell concludes. “Besides the football field, the complex will include many other facilities. It is a large-scale work with a very high budget; I hope that the different municipal governments maintain confidence in the project.” The future of UE Sants remains uncertain, a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by local clubs in maintaining their identity and connection to their communities amidst urban development and economic pressures. The story of Sants is a microcosm of the broader struggle for neighborhood identity in a rapidly changing Barcelona.
The club’s situation underscores the importance of stable infrastructure for community-based sports organizations. Without a permanent home, it’s demanding to foster a strong connection with local residents and build a sustainable future. For Sants, the dream of returning to Magòria represents more than just a new stadium; it symbolizes a return to its roots and a renewed sense of belonging.
