“Sant Andreu is a way of life,” says Roger Graells Font, the club’s communications director. A visit to this Catalan outfit, playing in Spain’s fourth tier, makes that clear. Sant Andreu have become a cult club — distinctive and on the rise.
Finding a following in Barcelona, home to one of the world’s most successful clubs, is not easy. Any Espanyol fan will tell you that. But Sant Andreu are growing because they represent their community and stand for something different.
The club is proudly anti-fascist and anti-racist, a stance driven by its supporters. That reputation has brought admirers beyond Sant Andreu, but it is more than a slogan for stickers sold to tourists.
In 2024, the ultras displayed a tifo celebrating three women who symbolised the revolutionary cause during the Spanish Civil War, including Elisa García Sáez — born in Sant Andreu and killed fighting fascist nationalists in 1936. Since then, the club has backed campaigns supporting refugees and encouraging the elderly to engage with football and the neighbourhood. “Being part of Sant Andreu implies a commitment that goes beyond football,” Font says.
“It is a commitment to the community and to a set of values intrinsic to the club.” Alongside opposing fascism and racism, Font cites Catalanism, human rights and women’s rights as core values that define Sant Andreu. “These are causes we actively promote and proudly stand for. We are a club with a very strong identity, proud of our working-class past and committed to defending just causes. You do not find all of this in professional LaLiga clubs.”
That identity helps explain the club’s growth. Membership tripled to 3,500 after promotion to their current division in 2023 and should rise further as the team looks set to reach Spain’s third tier. Seventeen unbeaten and on a nine-game winning run, Sant Andreu went into a recent weekend nine points clear of second place with four games remaining. A win over Valencia Mestalla would equal a record 10th consecutive victory and clinch promotion.
The squad is talented. Long-serving captain Albertito dominates midfield. Alexis Garcia, a 28-year-old winger in his second spell, provides skill out wide. Veteran Marcos Mendes often adds goals from the bench.
“There is a very close relationship between the fans and the players,” Font says — an emotional bond reflected in the stadium’s intimate setting. The Narcís Sala sits so snugly inside the community that balconies of surrounding tower blocks, many draped with the Catalan flag, peer down onto the pitch. On occasion, the ball ends up on those balconies.
The artificial pitch bears blue futsal lines; mini-goals linger behind the assistant referee’s touchline. It might seem small-time, but it does not stop the ultras from making plenty of noise. “The Narcís Sala has a warmth that is truly special and unlike what you see in most stadiums in Catalonia and Spanish football.” Matchdays feel like a neighbourhood event: packed bars, waving flags. It does not feel like central Barcelona.
Sant Andreu sees itself as separate. Locals still speak of “going to Barcelona” when they travel to the city centre. The club’s motto, L’Orgull de Poble — the Pride of the Town — expresses that distinct identity. “Sant Andreu de Palomar was an independent town until its annexation by Barcelona in 1897,” Font explains. “That village spirit endures. Our club remains faithful to this unique identity.”
Next season, promotion would spread that identity to a wider audience. “That is virtually a professional division,” Font notes. The immediate aim is to return to the third tier for the first time in over a decade; the medium-term dream is the Segunda División. Sant Andreu have not played in the second tier since 1977. Achieving that next step would require significant changes.
“As you move up the divisions, the stadium and facilities must be adapted to meet professional football requirements.” The five-a-side goals, the multiple pitch markings and the artificial turf would all have to go. “Promotion would require installing natural grass at the Narcís Sala,” Font acknowledges. The stadium is municipally owned, so the Barcelona city council would need to be involved to make such upgrades possible.
There is excitement at Sant Andreu — a sense of purpose and a club on a journey — alongside some unease about the adjustments that come with progress. They are getting used to curious tourists and groundhoppers, but everyone wants to preserve what makes Sant Andreu different. “Reaching the Segunda must not mean losing the essence that makes us so special and of which we are so proud.”
They are not there yet, but with promotion looming, celebrations are being planned and the dream of climbing closer to Spain’s second tier feels nearer. Sant Andreu may not consider themselves from Barcelona, but the city now has another club worth watching.