Barça is putting pressure on and hopes to receive the permit to reopen Camp Nou "this afternoon."

BarcelonaThe return to Camp Nou is getting closer every day, but there's no guarantee he'll be able to be there this weekend for the La Liga match against Real Sociedad. Barça is pushing to obtain the necessary permits and maintains that the stadium is "safe," so they expect to receive the first occupancy license (LPO) this Tuesday. However, the city council doesn't see it that clearly and will give a definitive answer this afternoon, along with technical explanations about all the bureaucracy involved in the renovation.

While Joan Laporta assured this morning on RAC1 and Catalunya Ràdio that the stadium "is about to return," 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 be filled. However, there's still work to be done inside. Like the locker rooms, for example, which can be used despite areas needing painting and ceilings still needing plasterboard.

"The stadium meets all safety regulations. Just because it's not fully finished doesn't mean it's not safe. Safety is guaranteed with all the certifications," said Elena Fort. 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 there's a wall left to paint or a cable still to be installed." Thus, they would return home by opening the south stand and goal, with 27,000 seats available. What is certain is that no more matches will be played at Johan Cruyff Stadium. So the next La Liga match is either at Camp Nou or at Lluís Companys Stadium.

Now, the club is certain that it must play at least the Champions League match against PSG at Montjuïc, but it is confident that UEFA will authorize it to play the rest of the first phase at Camp Nou. However, this does not depend on Barça and, therefore, it cannot guarantee it. Regardless of whether the license to reopen the stadium this Sunday is finally obtained, Barça explains that Phase 1B (which includes the side) is also completed and only all the relevant permits are pending. Therefore, the club maintains internally that if they don't make it in time for Real Sociedad, they will be able to return home in mid-October for the derby against Girona, already with a capacity of 45,000.

The dispute between Barça and the City Council over the permits could also be understood as a political battle, but the club assures that this is not the case. "There is no struggle," maintains Elena Fort. Joan Sentelles, the club's operations director, also assures that the relationship between the parties is good and limits himself to talking about the bureaucratic difficulties, because 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 most."

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.