The Blaugrana were meant to host Valencia in their refurbished home on Sunday, but they'll be playing at a 6,000-seater stadium instead
On a sunny Monday morning at Camp Nou on May 29, 2023, Barcelona president Joan Laporta gathered local dignitaries and key figures from the club for an event marking the start of reconstruction work at one of the most iconic arenas in football. The first brick was laid, a time capsule was buried beneath the pitch and there were numerous photos filled with smiling faces.
"Since the opening of Camp Nou in 1957, it has been our home and a source of pride for all Barca fans and we want it to stay that way," a beaming Laporta said. "The new Spotify Camp Nou will become a reality, a collective dream for all Barca fans and, at the same time, it will be a legacy for our children and grandchildren.
"Now we have to go through a process, the construction process, and we must be excited about that. When we come back here, we will be stronger than ever. It will coincide with our Club's 125th anniversary (November 29, 2024), when the stadium will be ready for us to get what we want from it."
However, more than 10 months on from the first of several missed deadlines, the refurbished Camp Nou is still not ready to reopen – and that's one of the two reasons why Barcelona will be playing their first home game of the season at a 6,000-seater arena beside their training ground. The other is Post Malone…
AFPNew hope
Laporta described the Ordinary General Assembly on October 17, 2021 as "one of the most important in the history of the club". Barcelona were in financial disarray, still counting the colossal cost "of the serious deficiencies" of the previous administration. According to Laporta, his predecessor, Josep Maria Bartomeu, had left behind "the worst accounts in Barca's history".
He spoke of refinancing packages and the renegotiation of player contracts in order to immediately address the dire economic situation. However, Laporta argued that the key to making a full recovery was the completion of the Espai Barca project – which centred on the transformation of Camp Nou and its surrounding area.
"It has been needed for a while now," he said. "We will be responsible and we ask you to give us a vote of confidence as it is absolutely necessary to grow and to compete with our rivals."
Laporta received the support he was seeking, and on December 19, 2022, club members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the €1.5 billion (£1.3bn/$1.76bn) project.
"It's a success for all Barcelona fans and for the singularity of the club," Laporta said at the time. "I am excited and ecstatic when I see the mock-ups of Camp Nou and the new arena. It will be a step forward in our lives."
AdvertisementAFP'Shortest possible time at the best price'
Four months after the vote, the local council granted permission for work to begin on Espai Barca project in June 2022, 'with the focus on the second and third tiers, technology, the environs of the stadium and exterior urban planning'.
At the same time, Barca revealed that the 'bidding process for works' had been brought forward, with the tender to open in July and be awarded 'no later than October'. However, Barca only announced on January 9, 2023 that Turkish contractor Limak Construction would be in charge of the building of the new arena.
"We want the Spotify Camp Nou to be built in the shortest possible time at the best price: two things that this company can do," vice-president Elena Fort told reporters. "Work will begin in June 2023 and we will return to the Spotify Camp Nou before the 125th anniversary… The speed of the construction guarantees the least economic damage."
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As per the original plan, the majority of the required work was to be carried out during the 2023-24 season while Barcelona were playing their home games at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Montjuic. When Barca then returned to Camp Nou for their centenary celebrations in November 2024, the ground would have an initial capacity of 62,000 – which would increase to 105,000 upon completion of the second and final phase of construction before the summer of 2026.
However, it was clear during the summer of 2024 that Limak were behind schedule, meaning Barca had little hope of celebrating their centenary on home soil.
Inevitably, questions began to be asked of Limak, who had only previously built one stadium, the 25,000-seater Mersin Arena, while it was also noted that all of the architects, engineers and consultants had begun working on the project under Bartomeu had since walked away.
Fort, though, was still speaking optimistically about the Catalans returning home before "the end of the year". By January 2025, that had changed to "the end of the season". Unfortunately, even that objective proved unobtainable.
Getty Images SportGampar Trophy U-turn
Given the ongoing uncertainty, it came as a surprise to see Barcelona announce that Camp Nou would host The Gampar Trophy clash with Como on August 10 with a reduced capacity of 27,000. Indeed, the initial excitement sparked by the 'We're back' slogan didn't last long, with Barca revealing on July 18 that they had been forced to move their traditional-opener to the Johan Cruyff Stadium, which is located beside the club’s training ground and is home to the Blaugrana’s women’s team, reserves and Under-19s.
"This decision is due to the fact that the necessary work to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance Regulating Municipal Intervention Procedures in Construction Works has made it impossible to complete the procedures required for the granting of the initial licence," a club statement read. "Specifically, due to the scale of the work carried out, it has not been possible to meet all the conditions laid out by the regulations governing this licence, despite the club's intention to reopen the redeveloped stadium sector by sector.
"The club is liaising closely with Barcelona City Council and the relevant authorities to make progress on the different requirements and will inform its members and fans of any new developments regarding the return date. This delay does not affect the planned schedule for the repayment of the Espai Barca debt."
The reference to the cost of the project was significant, as there was growing concern over the financial impact of the constant delays – especially after Laporta admitted that "all the commitments we have under the financing contract are included in returning to the Spotify Camp Nou".