Barcelona must wait a little longer to step back into their renovated Camp Nou after the city council rejected the club’s request for a key permit on Tuesday.
The Catalan champions had hoped to reopen their
iconic stadium this weekend, hosting Real Sociedad in La Liga with a reduced capacity of 27,000.
Instead, Sunday’s match will be played at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc, where Barça were based for the past two seasons during construction works.
“The club continues to work on obtaining the necessary administrative permits for the opening of Spotify Camp Nou in the coming weeks,” read a statement from Barcelona.
“Currently, the club is working on the new amendments that the council has shared today.”
The setback comes after the city’s fire department flagged concerns, including problems with evacuation routes.
“We share the club’s desire to return as soon as possible, but this city council must guarantee the safety of everyone who wants to go to the stadium — this is the priority,” said Laia Bonet, Barcelona’s deputy mayor.
“We will not take a month or a minute longer than necessary to grant the initial occupancy license when we have all we need.”
Club officials insist the stadium is already fit for fans.
“Just because it’s not finished, doesn’t mean it’s not safe,” argued operations director Joan Sentelles during a media tour earlier Tuesday.
He added that the stadium roof is now scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2027 — a year later than originally planned.
The reopening of Camp Nou has already been delayed multiple times; the original target was November 2024.
Hansi Flick’s side began this season playing away from home for three weeks to allow more time for the works, before moving temporarily to the 6,000-seat Johan Cruyff Stadium at their training ground.
The ambitious Camp Nou rebuild, estimated at €1.5 billion ($1.75 billion), remains one of the most expensive stadium projects in world football.
(with AFP inputs)
