The consequences of the first deluge at the new Camp Nou

BarcelonaAside from the rout and Lamine Yamal's magnificent goal, the Barça-Oviedo match left three images for the history books. The first was the players, soaked from head to toe, stoically enduring the hail while pleading with the referee to blow the final whistle. The second was president Joan Laporta and vice-president Rafael Yuste standing impassively in the VIP box, without umbrellas or hats. And the third was the torrent of water pouring from the Camp Nou roof, filling the stadium's interior with puddles.

Undoubtedly, this last image was the most sensational of all, and the one that generated the most videos and jokes on social media. The water came down with force, seeping through the structure of a third tier that is still under construction. On Sunday, the stadium was almost at its authorized capacity (44,763 tickets out of a possible 45,401), and many fans, who hadn't thought to bring umbrellas, left their seats early to take shelter from the rain. They hoped to do so inside the stands, but they didn't expect that even being—theoretically—under cover, they would still get wet.

The memes appeared almost instantly, saying, for example, that Camp Nou was preparing to host a World Swimming Championship. And the criticism once again targeted Joan Laporta's board or the construction company Limak, responsible for the renovation. But the explanation for all this is much simpler and lies in the roof, which It will not be installed until the summer of 2027Therefore, until this structure, which will function as a roof, is in place, rainy days will be a constant source of problems. "It's a third tier under construction," the club maintains.

The architects and specialists consulted by ARA support the club's explanation and argue that it's a temporary problem that will be resolved later. Furthermore, they explain that in this particular renovation, the third tier hasn't been integrated with the second; rather, they are two separate structures that are not connected. "Like two buildings side by side. They're next to each other, but they're independent," they clarify. At this point of connection, a material was installed to seal the joint and prevent leaks, but it "wasn't able" to stop the water accumulation. "It can't be considered a serious problem because it wasn't designed to be exposed to the elements, but rather to have a roof over it." Furthermore, a layer of waterproofing material will be applied in the coming months, so these sensational scenes will no longer be repeated.

It wasn't the first time there had been flooding at Camp Nou during the renovation. While the first and second tiers of stands were being prepared, the locker room area flooded on several occasions, as admitted by the Espai Barça technicians. And on two of those occasions, some of the wooden furniture that had already been installed had to be replaced, as it was rendered unusable. The problems ended when the stands were waterproofed. On Sunday, the rain also affected the VIP box ring, located at the bottom of the third tier. In this case, it didn't cause any damage. As with the locker rooms, water will cease to be a problem once the seating area is waterproofed, and the leaks will disappear forever when the roof is fully installed.

The box will remain uncovered

However, nothing will be fixed until there's a roof in place in the VIP box. Just as the fans can't find shelter from the rain—except for those in the upper tier, which is covered by the structure of the second tier—the directors and VIP guests in the box will also have to endure the elements. There's a Champions League match against Copenhagen on Wednesday, and the forecast doesn't rule out the possibility of another downpour.

Initially, UEFA required that the VIP areas of a stadium—the VIP box, for example—be covered, but an exception was made for Camp Nou due to the temporary nature of the renovation. A few months ago, there were plans to relocate the VIP box to the upper tier to avoid situations like the one on Sunday. Ultimately, this change won't be necessary. This is a huge relief for the club's staff, as it saves them from a series of changes that would have caused a logistical headache.

The new Camp Nou drainage system, a complete success

Sunday's downpour also brought some positive news. On the pitch, specifically. Despite the intensity of the deluge, the playing surface wasn't affected in the slightest. And that's despite the players playing the entire second half in the rain. It was the first major test for a revolutionary drainage system which was installed during the complete renovation of the facilities.

Historically, rainwater was collected in several pipes placed in lower layers. However, when it rained too much, as it did on Friday, the system couldn't keep up, and over time these pipes became clogged and had to be replaced. The new Camp Nou turf goes a step further and has added machines that suction the water and channel it to large tanks. In this way, drainage is instantaneous, and the field doesn't fill with puddles even when it's pouring. The other advantage is that the water can be reused.