Like pop stars, FC Barcelona players were expected by their fans over an hour after the final whistle at the exit of the Mini Estadi. Or how about the cars of the football gods around Lionel Messi, when they shoot from the parking garage of the Camp Nou across the street. From the "mini", the smaller brother, the players went while still walking. But they were now even celebrated by Messi in the social networks: "How big you are!" Wrote the five-time world footballer to several photos of the match against Bayern.

Barcelona experienced a coming-out on this cloudy Sunday - not only because the women's team reached their first Champions League final within a week thanks to the second 1-0 win against Bayern Munich. The interest in him had never been so massive either. The 15,276 places had been sold out for a week (at the end came officially 12,764 spectators). The regional president was there and the mayor - on the day of Spanish parliamentary elections -, the club president anyway, and also Ernesto Valverde, coach of the men, after the night championship celebration. There were also 130 accredited journalists who formed such a crowd that the players had to fight their way through the mixed zone.

"Mega-fun" also for the losers

Not least of all the Bavarians, who made a great contribution to their club with a courageous performance, were thrilled by this mood. The especially in the second half clearly dominated, the only goal conceded by a penalty (Mariona, 45th minute) and in turn to Latte (Melanie Leupolz, 32), posts (Jill Roord, 73) or inexplicable misses (Sara Däbritz , 51.) failed.

"We did a great deal right up to the penalty area," said Vice-captain Carina Wenninger, who had felt "mega-fun" in the face of the quavering chants among the spectators. "That was very special, because there were not just 15,000 fans, but 15,000 fans who have constantly set the mood," said the Austrian. "I have never experienced this atmosphere before."

Goalkeeper Laura Benkarth agreed: "Outstanding to play in front of so many people, unfortunately that's not the case in Germany." At the first leg in Munich 2500 spectators came to the club campus.

Sympathy in "Macholand" is growing

Meanwhile, Spain has a different number: 60,739 fans set the world record for a women's league match in mid-March at the top match between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona.

But even at Athletic Bilbao came this season already 48,212 and once 24,986 spectators. Alavés recently had 8375 in the second division, and only last weekend the Espanyol Barcelona women surpassed their average at the first appearance at the men's stadium with 20.615. To play the Bundesliga women come on average currently less than 1000 spectators.

Of course, the move to the big arenas takes place in Spain so far only for individual games and the entry is then usually free or at least significantly cheaper. Just like the up to three live games of each match day of the Spanish women's league so far not on pay-TV, but in free-to-air television. But they are being watched. Otherwise, the rights administrator "Mediapro" from next season hardly pay for the first time for the transfer licenses, three million euros per season. The press also reports in detail, you can literally watch as the sympathy for women's football in the supposed Macho country continues to grow.

Like his players, Bayern coach Thomas Wörle explained the strong performance of his team ("The performance itself was our best level") partly with the atmosphere. "Whoever was here today, with the big Camp Nou in the background, goes home satisfied and says to himself: 'This was a big game, with two teams full of passion'." He added: "For us, it's not just a backdrop, the fans here were behind their team, they made a huge alarm."

From the heart to the suburb

In the end, in fact, a larger proportion of spectators stayed in the stadium for the lap of honor than the night before at the more routine men's ceremony at Camp Nou. Both teams finally celebrated together - although there were tough duels during the match and Wörle was dismissed for referee criticism of the coaching zone: After the final whistle, the Bavarians were applauded, players of both teams stood together and shot memories together. Some Munich women stayed even in the square when the winners gathered for the group photo and chanted together with the remaining fans: "Budapest, Budapest". There on 18 May the final against defending champion Olympique Lyon rises.

Sometime in the final, Bayern, who will lose their coach after nine years together in the summer. But also in Barcelona something came to an end on Sunday - it was the last important women's game in the "Mini". The traditional second arena will be demolished in favor of a new basketball hall, from next season play youth teams and women on a new place in the training center of the club. Although he will be named after Johan Cruyff, but is unadorned on the highway. For the women, this goes against the trend, so to speak: they have just arrived at the heart of the club. They have to go back to the suburbs.

FC Barcelona - Bayern Munich 1: 0 (1: 0)
1: 0 Mariona Caldentey (45. + 2, penalty kick)
Barcelona: Panos - Torrejon, Pereira, Leon, Ouahabi - Hamraoui, Losada, Putellas - Mariona Caldentey (83rd Andressa Alves), Duggan (71st Oshoala), Martens (87th Bonmati)
Munich: Benkarth - Lewandowski, Hendrich, Wenninger, Schweers - Skorvankova (78th Demann), Leupolz - Däbritz, Magull (59th Roord), Rolfö - Damnjanovic (72nd Islacker)
Referee: Staubli
Yellow cards: - / Lewandowski, Skorvankova, Wenninger
Yellow-red: Hamraoui