Solution in sight for the first rows of the new Camp Nou

BarcelonaIt is not expected that any director, executive or technician of Barça will openly admit to having made a mistake in the renovation of the Camp Nou. However, internally the club knows perfectly well that they made a mistake with the first tier and that a solution must be found imminently to fix the visibility problems. The provisional measure involves blocking the sale of the first rows of seats. But this is just a band-aid. That's why there is some urgency to correct the visibility problems that have become evident since the reopening.

"Renovating a stadium with an investment of 1.5 billion and making these kinds of mistakes generates significant discredit," explains an architect well connected with the Camp Nou works. Barça is aware of this, and that is why they will try to remedy it this summer. "We will not wait until 2027," they state to this newspaper from the Blaugrana offices. The television image, with the first rows empty, pleases no one. Nor does the economic damage of not selling about 350 tickets per game, which represents around 30,000 euros in revenue per match.

The inclination of the first tier has surprised a good part of the technicians who have been working these months on the renovation of the Camp Nou. Especially considering that visibility problems had been dragging on since 1994 and that it was one of the many things being solved with the project that Josep Maria Bartomeu's board had left on the table before resigning. Joan Laporta's board completely redid the plans and decided to keep the first tier as it was, arguing that there were 12,000 season ticket holders who would have had to be relocated to the highest part of the stadium.

The first tier was renovated, but the inclination was not improved

But the most curious thing about the case is that, once the renovation began, the first tier did have to be intervened: technicians detected that the prefabricated concrete elements from '94 had been damaged and needed to be replaced. Everyone took it for granted that it would be an excuse to improve the incline. In fact, Joan Sentelles, the club's operations director, even assured during a site visit with journalists that the visibility of the first tier had been improved. However, once the stadium reopened, it has become evident that this has not been the case. "Without advertising hoardings, the view is perfect. The problem is when the television U (UTV) is put up. But we couldn't know that until we installed them," said Sentelles himself in a recent interview on Catalunya Ràdio.

Most of the fingers have pointed to Limak as guilty of this situation, but the Turkish construction company has shaken off the fleas saying that they merely executed the project that the club gave them. "At no time was the possibility of sinking the pitch to improve visibility put on the table. In fact, it wasn't even discussed," assures a person very close to Espai Barça.

Lowering the pitch: a definitive but laborious and costly solution

The option to sink the pitch even further is, according to the consulted architects, the best one. "It doesn't have to be much, probably a meter is enough," assures one of them. This way, the UTV would not obstruct the view of fans who are closer to the grass. Furthermore, photographers, cameras, and security personnel could move around the area without disturbing spectators. However, it is a very costly option that involves months of work and a lot of planning.

The main obstacle to lowering the pitch is the sewage system, essential for evacuating fecal matter and, above all, rainwater. In other projects, the option of building a pool to collect this water and pump it outside would be considered. However, the stadium has such large dimensions that it makes this unfeasible, and on days with heavy rain, there would be flooding. The consulted architects detail that, if the option to sink the field is chosen, it would be necessary to find sewage points that are at a lower level than the south area of the Camp Nou.

on days with heavy rain there would be flooding. The consulted architects detail that, if the option to sink the field is chosen, it would be necessary to find sewage points that are at a lower level than the south area of the Camp Nou.

The reform would have to be paid for by Barça, as it is not Limak's fault. And it would represent a significant investment of money. In addition to the tasks of removing soil and connecting the sewage system, it would involve rebuilding the new irrigation and drainage system that was installed during the renovation. However, not everyone sees this option clearly, and other avenues are being explored. Meanwhile, the UTV is moved back a few meters in League matches – it cannot be done in the Champions League due to regulations – and work is being done to relocate cameras and photographers.