FC Barcelona activates 'Visiting Supporters Security and Control Protocol' for high-risk fixture against Atalanta

"The Club calls on fans not to turn up to the stadium without a ticket and recommends that fans arrive early following transport advice.

For the Champions League match between FC Barcelona and Atalanta at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Wednesday 29 January (9.00pm CET), as in all matches classified as high-risk and as occurred last season, the club will be adopting the necessary security measures to guarantee the safety of all members and home and visiting fans. It will also implement control measures on the sale of tickets, especially with regard to the sale of seats and the presence of rival supporters outside of their designated area in the stadium.

An appeal is therefore being made to all the fans of the visiting team who do not have a ticket, not to go to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, because they will not be able to purchase tickets anywhere around the ground. Only those Atalanta supporters who have a ticket distributed by their club and for the area reserved for visiting fans will be able to attend the match.

The measures that have been established for this high-risk fixture as decided by the Anti-Violence Commission are the following:

** - Tickets bear the holder's name. - No actions in support of the visiting team may be performed in areas for home fans. -Tickets sales to IP addresses of the country of the opposing team and credit cards have been blocked. - Announcement on the website during the sale period that tickets are intended for sale to FC Barcelona fans only. - Prohibition of wearing clothing or accessories identified with the visiting club anywhere other than in the area reserved for opposing fans. - Fans must have the required documents at hand (ticket and passport or ID document) to be shown if requested. - Enable access 10 for sole use by visiting fans. - No tickets to be sold at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys ticket booths. -Tour operators cannot sell tickets to fans of the visiting team either.**

Recommendations for club members and all fans

The club is also appealing to fans attending the match to come with enough time and with all the documentation ready to be shown at the request of any representative of the club or its security forces at the entrances. The gates to the stadium will open two hours before the start of the match for the opposing fans, who will enter the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys through gate 10, and an hour and a half before for the rest of the fans.

The club has a series of instructions to ease the flow in and out of the stadium and in the environs of Montjuïc. Fans attending the match are advised to access the stadium on foot or by public transport, such as the metro or the funicular train, among others, as well as on the free shuttle service for ticket holders. Fans are also asked to avoid, as far as possible, private vehicles, especially on Avenida Maria Cristina and Plaça Espanya due to roadworks.

Four-wheeled motor vehicles will not be able enter the area around the stadium unless they have an official pass. The traffic police will remove any improperly parked vehicles. Up to 3,500 motorcycles can park in the area around the stadium. Finally, please note that there will be no left-luggage area."