Sunday's game between Barcelona and Levante drew a crowd of 56,380 to Camp Nou, nearly 6,000 below Barcelona's season average of 63,000. That figure "excludes the game against Las Palmas, which was played behind closed doors." Camp Nou's capacity is 99,354. Barcelona is "on pace to have its lowest average attendance per game of the decade." The club finished last season with an average of around 77,000 fans per match (SPORT, 1/7).
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) presidential candidate Damiano Tommasi said that he would "establish Serie A reserve teams and let them play in Italy's third tier." The system is currently being used in Spain and Germany, with "B" teams playing in the respective league pyramids "as opposed to specialist divisions." Tommasi: "I think it's one of the projects that we should start putting through, involving the Serie A clubs that are interested" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 1/8).
Deniz Naki, a German-Kurdish footballer and "well-known critic of the Turkish government," survived a suspected murder attempt while driving in western Germany. At least two bullets fired from a passing car hit Naki's car on a motorway near Düren on Sunday, German media said. He was not injured. Naki plays for Turkish side Amed SK and previously played for German clubs (BBC, 1/8).
