The ghost that threatens Barça's return to Montjuïc

BarcelonaBarça's exile at Montjuïc was a breeding ground for problems. The club lost revenue because it was temporarily relocated to a stadium that was only half its capacity. Furthermore, it had to pay for the renovations, maintenance, and rent. Relations between the Barça management and the operators of the Olympic Ring have also been strained during the more than three years—since the initial lease agreement was signed in June 2022—that this arrangement lasted. Everything came to an end on November 22nd, the day Barça returned to play a match at Camp Nou and concluded its stay at the Lluís Companys Stadium. However, the renovation of the Barcelona stadium is as ambitious as it is complex, and a specter looms over the return to Montjuïc in 2027: the roof.

Just as Joan Sentelles, Barça's director of operations, described the third tier of the new Camp Nou as the "crown jewel" of the renovation, this construction will culminate in the 360-degree roof that will shelter the 105,000 fans attending matches. But building the roof is a constant headache. The initial plan slated it for the summer of 2025. Then, it was postponed until 2026. And the latest news suggests it will be in 2027. However, the problem isn't the specific year, but rather the difficulty of fitting the construction of this massive structure into a summer with enough days to work without any interference. And, as one of the sources consulted at Espai Barça admits, "we need more months of work than there are days without matches on the calendar."

From three to seven months: the headache of fitting the cover to the calendar

Initially, Sentelles said it would take three months for the big liftThe term "raising the roof" refers to the time it takes for the pieces to be brought into the stadium, assembled on the pitch, and lifted into their final position using tension cables. During this process, seats must be dismantled, and the pitch becomes completely unusable, making it impossible to play any football matches. However, that initial figure of three months was very optimistic, and in his last public appearance, Sentelles raised it to four and a half months.

However, this is less than what the architects designing the roof claim. According to ARA, the initial sketches put the construction time at seven months. "We are doing everything possible to shorten the deadlines. Luckily, we still have time," an authoritative source involved in the Camp Nou renovation told this newspaper. The experts consulted assure that it is possible to reach the four and a half months the club is aiming for, although they warn of the risk of potential delays: "Nothing can go wrong. The slightest problem will cause an inevitable delay." The most challenging part ends when the bicycle wheel – as the internal structure is known – is in place. From then on, the process of covering and waterproofing it can be carried out while matches are being played.

Barça will need to alter the league schedule for two more seasons

Four and a half months is longer than a typical summer break. Besides dealing with the engineering teams, Barça plans to contact La Liga to request one last favor regarding the schedule. For the 2026-27 season, they will request to play the final three matches away from home, despite the risk this entails, given that the title is still up for grabs. And, just as they did this season, they will also request that the 2027-28 season begin with the first three matches away from home. This means the last home game would be in April and the next one in mid-September, after the international break. May, June, July, August, and two weeks in September—that's all the time the engineers will have.

"If it's just for one match, we can ask to play at the Johan Cruyff Arena like this year. But if it drags on, we'll have to consider Montjuïc again," they admit in the Barça offices. The problem is that the Olympic stadium is being dismantled, as it will cease to be a football pitch and will revert to being a venue for large concerts. "If Barça needs to return, the pitch could be made available to them. But they won't be able to do the same business with products fromhospitality because there will be neither meeting rooms nor the areas VIP"," says an authoritative source linked to BSM, the company that manages the Olympic ring's facilities. This setback could be more significant than it appears, considering that UEFA might raise concerns about hosting Champions League matches.