Imaginative solutions to combat the new delays at Camp Nou

BarcelonaThe Camp Nou renovation works have become a mountain of uncertainties and broken promises. From the initial return date for the first occupancy permits, to the cost overruns of the renovation, and continuing with the construction of the roof. The only thing that is known for certain is that it must be finished by the summer of 2029 because the bid to host the Champions League final is serious.

On Sunday, coinciding with the elections, the Camp Nou finally reopened the north stand and This increased the capacity to 62,000 seats.Between the stadium's existing delays and disagreements with the City Council, the authorization (phase 1c), initially agreed upon for the end of October, was postponed until Christmas, then to January, and finally arrived in mid-March. This delay has also affected the construction of the third tier, which is progressing more slowly than desired. According to Barça and Limak's initial plan, the framework of the third tier should have been covered with prefabricated concrete by the end of February. This wasn't possible, and the new deadline is the end of April. Afterward, waterproofing, the installation of seats and all services, and the adaptation of the double-layered retail space will be necessary. VIPwhich will be one of the stadium's most important sources of income. The business plan anticipated having everything ready by the start of the 2026-27 season. According to sources connected to Espai Barça, it will be a significant achievement if everything is operational by Christmas.

The installation of the roof will take longer than the club anticipated.

The other Big doubt lies on the deckThe project, which has been postponed year after year, is now scheduled for installation in the summer of 2027. This will take place during a significant window without matches at the stadium, as football cannot be played during construction. Joan Sentelles, the club's head of operations, had already announced that Barça would request to play away matches in the last three games of the 26/27 season and the first three of the 27/28 season. This was intended to create a period of at least four months without football to give the workers time. However, Sentelles himself, who initially stated that the roof would take three months, admitted in a press conference that it would take four and a half. The reality, according to this newspaper, is that the engineers have said it will take seven months. "They are doing everything possible to shorten the timeline and make it work, but it is very complicated and risky," says an authoritative source within the club. Therefore, the specter of leaving Camp Nou again looms. A plan B must be found.

Should it be confirmed that another exile is necessary, the easy option would be to return to Montjuïc, although this route is practically ruled out, as the former vice-president had already admitted. Elena Fort in an interview on the ARABarça doesn't want to go because they insist it would be financially ruinous to play in a stadium where they have to pay rent. Furthermore, Barcelona Municipal Services (BSM) workers have already dismantled everything that was built to adapt the Lluís Companys stadium for use. So, it wouldn't just be a matter of replacing the pitch, but of reassembling a series of facilities that, overall, would be extremely expensive. In short, it's not worth it.

Laporta proposes expanding the capacity of the Johan Cruyff stadium to 16,000 seats

At this point, the simplest option would be to use a First Division stadium, but that is also ruled out due to the inconveniences it would cause for players and fans. Therefore, The idea of ​​returning to playing Johan Cruyff's style prevails.As was done for three matches at the start of the season, some adjustments would need to be made, such as increasing the capacity, as Joan Laporta, the president-elect of Barça, explained in an interview on RAC1, going from the current 6,000 seats to 16,000. There are two ways to achieve this. One is to temporarily dismantle the roofs of the side and goal stands and install additional seating. This would be the same method used by lower-league teams when playing against a rival like Barça or Real Madrid in the Cup. The other is to carry out construction work and make it a permanent expansion. In any case, the problem is that the space is very limited, that more people means more logistics –security, access, services, parking…– and that authorization from the city council is required. Laporta explains that they have already contacted them and so far no one has objected. Time will tell if it is truly necessary and, above all, if it is possible.