Conflicts, roguery, and revolution on the Barça pitch

Barcelona"He's burning our grass!" With that energetic cry, Barça officials protested at Barcelona Municipal Services (BSM) about the condition of the Montjuïc pitch. Having a pitch in perfect condition has been a priority for the Blaugrana team and the temporary exile in Lluís Companys generated disputes, some very heated, because things were not being done to the club's liking.

The long-awaited return to Camp Nou, scheduled for the weekend of the 13th and September 14th, although every day seems more difficult, must put an end to this and other headaches the team has had away from home. From that moment on, Barça will once again be responsible for managing stadium maintenance, without depending on third parties. This includes, of course, a pitch that incorporates a revolutionary drainage system to ensure the grass is always in perfect condition even when it rains heavily.

The problems with Montjuïc's irrigation system began as soon as Barça moved in. The club, as stipulated in the contract signed with the Barcelona city council, was to be responsible for adapting the Olympic stadium to convert it into a football pitch. This renovation, estimated at 20 million euros, also included improvements to the pitch, irrigation system, and drainage, which had remained intact since Espanyol moved in during the second half of the 1990s. Since the paymaster calls the shots, Barça delegated the work to Garden Tona, their trusted gardener. The problem was that the BSM workers, who were in charge of field maintenance, weren't used to the system and initially didn't know how to operate it.

The dispute between Barça and BSM over watering the turf at Lluís Companys

The main conflict arose well into the fall, when stains appeared on the pitch and the team, still with Xavi on the bench, hinted that the turf wasn't in good condition. At Camp Nou, Barça could fix these problems in its own way, but since Montjuïc is municipally owned, it is subject to a series of regulations regarding turf maintenance, including, among other things, the use of chlorine to disinfect it. "We went back and forth for a month until we finally reached an agreement," notes a qualified BSM employee, who also laments the difficulty in discussing these issues with Barça. "In the end, we understood each other, but it was very difficult."

In the summer of 2024, Montjuïc was swapping football for concerts. Initially, they discussed the possibility of covering the turf to preserve it, although they ruled it out because "it would have been damaged anyway." So it was time to change it. The crowds who watched the live performances spoiled the situation, although Barça paid for the change, as stipulated in the contract between the club, BSM, and the City Council. All told, the pitch performed brilliantly during the 2024-25 season, Flick's first year under contract. Once the maintenance issues were resolved, the season ended in such good condition that even Barça decided to restore it. send her to Garden Tona daycare and give it a second use later.

The new Camp Nou pitch, a hallmark of Barça

Meanwhile, construction work on the Camp Nou was progressing at a frantic pace. Unable to reopen its doors in November 2024, Barça had set themselves the challenge of playing again in May 2025, coinciding with the Clásico against Real Madrid. As the months went by, they realized they wouldn't make it in time. Even so, a temporary turf was installed in April, around Sant Jordi. The club's official version was that the installation would serve to stabilize the playing field and that, when the time came, the final turf would be laid. But according to ARA, what wasn't explained is that this was actually an initiative by Limak to avoid a potential penalty due to the delay in the construction work.

In the following days, sprinklers tirelessly watered the pitch. This was done because a revolutionary drainage system had been installed. Historically, rainwater is collected in several pipes placed in lower layers. However, when it rains heavily, the system can't cope, and over time these pipes become clogged and need to be replaced. The new Camp Nou turf goes a step further, adding machines that are responsible for sucking up the water and channeling it into large tanks. According to the technicians consulted, it has three advantages. That drainage is instantaneous and the pitch doesn't fill with puddles even if it rains heavily, that the water can be reused, and that ideal humidity levels are guaranteed year-round. "It's the price of preserving one of our hallmarks," point out sources close to Espai Barça, who uphold the legendary saying: "At Camp Nou, with this turf, if you don't play well, it's because you don't know how." Now all that's left is to be able to break it in.