City Council contradicts Barça and refuses to authorize the Camp Nou's reopening due to "deficiencies."

BarcelonaThe return to Camp Nou is getting closer every day, but it will still have to wait. The City Council has denied the first occupancy permit (LPO) that Barça had requested because it has detected several "deficiencies" in the stadium. Thus, the La Liga match against Real Sociedad, which will be moved to Montjuïc, will not yet be played. The club maintained that it was "safe" for spectators, quite the opposite of the opinion of the municipal technicians, who have the final say.

Pressure from Joan Laporta, who assured this morning on RAC1 and Catalunya Ràdio that the stadium "is about to return," has been in vain. This Tuesday, the club organized a visit with the media to demonstrate in situ that the doors can reopen and host top-flight matches. Indeed, the grandstand, south goal, and sideline areas are sufficiently finished to allow fans to imagine them being filled. However, there is still work to be done inside. Like the locker rooms, for example, which can be used despite having areas that need painting and ceilings that need plasterboard.

These, however, are not the deficiencies that city council technicians have detected. According to municipal sources, there are discrepancies between the documents submitted and what has actually been built. The main stumbling block, however, is some shortcomings in the evacuation routes: from "railings that are not the correct height" to "obstacles in the path that spectators should follow in case of emergency, as well as medical vehicles," noted the director of the Barcelona Fire Department, Sebastià Messeguer. "The City Council must guarantee the safety of the fans," added Laia Bonet, deputy mayor of Barcelona.

There isn't enough time to play against Real Sociedad. However, these aren't serious problems, and the council believes the Camp Nou will be able to reopen "soon," although they can't guarantee when. Given the type of repairs to be carried out and the documentation, the prevailing theory is that everything could be fixed in a matter of days and reopen for the derby between Barça and Girona, scheduled for October 18, with an initial capacity of 27,000 spectators (corresponding to the first phase of the reopening, which includes the grandstand and the south goal). Although it won't be possible to confirm this for a few days.

The City Council's view conflicts with the club's version. "The stadium meets all safety regulations. Just because it isn't fully finished doesn't mean it's unsafe. Safety is guaranteed with all the certifications," said Elena Fort this morning. The institutional vice president and head of Espai Barça referred to Camp Nou as "the most supervised project in recent years" and therefore maintained that the City Council could authorize the LPO "even if a wall or cable remains unpainted." In this sense, the council is open to granting this concession, what are technically called "correctable deficiencies," but for now, according to sources from Plaça Sant Jaume.

The dispute between Barça and the City Council over permits has been going on for a long time, in part due to the club's urgent need to reopen the stadium. Therefore, it could be seen as a political battle, but both the club and the city council assure us that this is not the case. "There is no struggle," maintains Elena Fort. Municipal sources are also arguing the same. Joan Sentelles, the club's operations director, speaks of the bureaucratic difficulties, as it is a unique project that requires a series of special licenses and regulations: "We understand that the City Council has doubts and that the technicians are very scrupulous, but we can guarantee that Camp Nou is the safest stadium in Spain, and perhaps the safest in Europe."

The roof will not be installed until the summer of 2027.

On the other hand, Barça has confirmed that the big lift, the Anglicism used to describe the installation of the roof, has been postponed for another year. It was initially planned for 2025, but was already delayed due to the fact that the structure of the third tier hadn't made sufficient progress. Now they've announced that it won't be 2026 either, as the club will dedicate the next few months to completing the entire third tier, in order to begin the 2026-2027 season with a full capacity of 104,000 spectators. Thus, the roof will be installed in the summer of 2027, and during the 2027-2028 season, the membranes that will shelter the fans will be installed. In addition, the club will request to finish the final matches of the 2026-2027 season away from home, and also to start the 2027-2028 season away from home to gain a few weeks of margin. The assembly and lifting of the bicycle wheel takes approximately four months, and there can be no competition involved. The rest can be done while matches are being played.

The other hurdle has to do with the Champions League. The club already knows for sure that it must play at least the match against PSG at Montjuïc, but it trusts that UEFA will authorize it to play the rest of the first phase at Camp Nou. But this doesn't depend on Barça, and therefore, it can't guarantee it. First of all, it needs Phase 1B (which includes the side court) to also be completed and with all the permits in order. Barça assures that the construction phase is complete and now the paperwork is pending. However, taking into account the city council's requirements, it seems unlikely that the side court will be able to open by mid-October, when Barça hosts Olympiakos. Therefore, it's very likely that the entire first phase will end up being played at the Olympic Stadium.