Barcelona restore Gol 1957 fan section for Aston Villa match after Camavinga incident

Barcelona will reopen their Gol 1957 supporters’ stand for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Aston Villa, despite growing concerns that crowd misconduct could lead to sanctions including the closure of Camp Nou.

The decision follows the incidents during the most recent clasico against Real Madrid, when objects were thrown and Eduardo Camavinga was struck with a Barcelona flag during the Spanish side’s celebrations after scoring their second goal.

Barcelona suspended the stand on 29 October following the match. The club has now held talks with representatives of the supporters’ groups involved, who agreed to maintain civil and respectful behaviour in return for being allowed back under strict supervision.

The Gol 1957 section is situated behind the goal at the southern end of Camp Nou. Its members lead organised chanting and coordinate displays in the stands, including the use of large flags and oversized tifos intended to encourage the players.

The stand will be in operation when Barcelona face Aston Villa in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase on Tuesday.

The Spanish league authorities referred the incident involving Camavinga to the disciplinary committee after videos circulated appearing to show the Real Madrid midfielder being hit on the head by flagpoles wielded by Barcelona supporters.

The league has reiterated its determination to confront any form of violent behaviour. Barcelona’s decision to restore the section reflects the club’s desire to recover the atmosphere created by organised support while avoiding a repeat of the events that led to its suspension.

The club has faced a similar issue before. In November 2024, while Barcelona were playing at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic, the supporters’ section was also suspended.

On that occasion, fan groups had asked Barcelona to cover fines totalling 21,000 euros arising from the actions of some of their members. The situation placed the club at risk of having its stadium closed, amid repeated sanctions linked to crowd behaviour.

That history means the return of the Gol 1957 section will take place under considerable scrutiny. Barcelona are relying on the commitments made by the supporters’ representatives as they attempt to restore the group’s role without creating another disciplinary crisis.