Barcelona's Nou Camp Return Delayed by City Council Permit Denial
Barcelona's return to the Nou Camp has been further delayed following the city council's rejection of their request for a crucial permit on Tuesday.
The La Liga champions had hoped to host Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp this Sunday with a reduced capacity of 27,000 spectators.
Instead, the match will take place at the 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium located on Montjuic hill, where Barcelona has played for the past two seasons during the ongoing renovation work.
The club expressed gratitude to its members and supporters for their understanding and support during this complex and exciting process, stating that they are working on the amendments requested by the council.
Barcelona's previous two home games against Valencia and Getafe were held at the significantly smaller Johan Cruyff Stadium, which accommodates just 6,000 fans and serves as the home ground for the women's team.
The city's fire department cited issues with evacuation routes and other safety concerns as reasons for the permit denial.
However, Joan Sentelles, Barcelona's operations director, remarked during a stadium tour on Tuesday, "Just because it’s not finished doesn’t mean it’s not safe."
Sentelles also noted that the stadium's roof is now expected to be completed in the summer of 2027, a year later than initially planned.
Renovations at the Nou Camp began in June 2023, with an estimated cost of around £1.1 billion, aimed at modernizing the stadium and expanding its capacity to 105,000, making it one of the largest in the world.
The club had aimed to resume playing at the Nou Camp by November 2024 to coincide with its 125th anniversary, but that timeline has now been missed.
Laia Bonet, Barcelona's deputy mayor, emphasized that the city council's priority is to ensure the safety of all attendees at the stadium. "This is the priority," she stated.