Marc-André ter Stegen: ‘Barcelona are on the way back. We found ourselves’

“W e’re more attractive now,” Marc-André ter Stegen says. The last time Barcelona played in the Europa League, there were 79,468 people at the Camp Nou; the problem was that half of them were supporting the other team. That April night last year, Eintracht Frankfurt brought more than 35,000, stands swathed in white. “It was tough, it didn’t feel like we were at home,” the goalkeeper admits, but he knows it won’t happen again, starting with Manchester United on Thursday night.

That experience against Eintracht prompted Barcelona to impose strict measures to deny visitors access, prevent tickets being bought by away fans and stop members selling seats on, but it is not really about that. It is more about the teams, the moment: last season was the imperfect storm, unrepeatable. “Frankfurt wanted to really push it, they were really excited to travel,” Ter Stegen says. What has most changed though is them – seen in the stands and explained here as he settles into a seat at the club’s Joan Gamper training ground.

At 82,825, Barcelona’s average league attendances are the highest in Europe, 28,843 more than last season. They’re out of the Champions League again, which is why they’re back here on a Thursday night, but this is different: the start of something, a revival. For him too. United offer an indication of just how real. “The people now really enjoy watching us; the passion from fans and the team is connecting,” Ter Stegen says. “We’re in the process of growing again.”

This time last season, Barcelona were sixth, 17 points off the top. Eliminated early by Eintracht in Europe and Athletic Bilbao in the cup, they finished empty-handed for the second time in three years after an 11-season run of trophies. Now they are Super