The pieces that don't fit in the new Palau Blaugrana

BarcelonaJoan Laporta's final days before resigning as Barça president were frantic. Meetings, contract renewals, interviews, and photographs. Closing cases was very important for the current pre-candidate in his aspirations to be re-elected. Generally speaking, and apart from the 4-0 defeat in the Cup, the men's first team is performing well. For this reason alone, Laporta has a good chance of remaining in the presidential box. What the fans value most is that the ball goes in the net. Therefore, the president's main task has been to patch up the team. However, managing a club like Barça is much broader, and the five years in office have generated controversy and burned some bridges along the way that had to be hastily rebuilt.

Confusing the Barça spirit with the fanbase is one of the biggest mistakes when analyzing the Barça elections. The more than 400 million fans the club has worldwide are nothing like the 50,000 who usually go to vote. And on March 15th, with a match at the Camp Nou not guaranteed, there might be even fewer. The general public isn't particularly mobilized, and this can be a double-edged sword: if the opposition plays its cards right, there's a risk of igniting those voters who want a change in the presidency. That's why it's so important for anyone seeking reelection to calm the masses and arrive at election day with as little noise as possible.

It wasn't by chance the approach with the four groups who were expelled from the Supporters' Zone a year and a half ago. The chants of "Barça yes, Laporta no" were uncomfortable and could be contagious. Nobody knows for sure if the meeting was serious or if it only had an electoral purpose. Only time will tell. The only certainty is that, in the short term, it has silenced a part of the fanbase that is willing to give up almost everything to have a seat at Camp Nou again. The other indignant group is the supporters of the Palau Blaugrana, tired of the numerous cuts to the sections and the promises regarding the construction of a new pavilion which never seemed to arrive. But, just hours before the resignation, virtual images of what the new Palau would look like suddenly appeared.

The renders Computer-generated renderings are always captivating. It's striking that the exterior of the new Palau is substantially different from the design that won the competition in 2016. The creation by TAC Arquitectes, which remains involved in the project, had to be modified because the venue's capacity has increased from the initial 12,000 seats to 15,000. The other architecture firm responsible for developing the project is Hermoso & Heimannsfeld, the team behind the Palacio de los Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid (now the Movistar Arena). This choice is not arbitrary, as the plan is for the Palau—which is likely to be renamed Spotify, a more commercially appealing name—to host both major football matches and concerts. Therefore, emphasis has been placed on ensuring that the building, which will be constructed on the site of the former Miniestadi, is perfectly soundproofed.

There are still many steps to be taken before construction can begin on the new Palau Blaugrana.

But there's still a long way to go, as only two of the six phases required before construction can begin have been completed. With the preliminary studies done, the virtual images correspond to the preliminary design. The basic design is still pending approval. After that, it will need to be developed, followed by the advanced basic design, and finally, the necessary permits and building authorizations. Once everything is in place, the first stone can be laid.

The construction has no start date because it's also unclear where the funding will come from. Official club sources claim it's included in the €1.5 billion Espai Barça financing. This version contradicts the notarized document securing the loan, as there's no explicit mention of any allocation for building the new Palau – it only authorizes the development of the project.

Back then, Laporta's board set the cost at 420 million, and Eduard Romeu, when he was still the economic vice-president, said that the money would come, among other sources, from unused contingency funds from the Camp Nou renovation. However, the experts consulted by ARA don't see this option as feasible, either because the creditors will oppose it or because the money will have already been used to cover the cost overruns of the football stadium. The only certainty, as admitted by the Barça offices, is that Goldman Sachs didn't show much interest in the pavilion when the financing of Espai Barça was being negotiated. And that Romeu himself admitted to the members that an extra loan would probably have to be requested.

Meanwhile, the delays kept piling up. At each participatory meeting with the members, the club set dates for the laying of the foundation stone, dates that were never met. Even Josep Cubells, the director in charge of basketball, publicly stated that construction would begin in February 2025. Internally, everyone knew that wasn't going to happen, and the comment earned him a reprimand. The latest date Barça is working with is to start in early 2027 and have it finished by the end of 2028.

But internally, there is a lot of skepticism. Firstly, because the Espai Barça engineers had admitted that, due to logistical issues, it wasn't possible to build Camp Nou and the Palau simultaneously. Secondly, because the project needs to be finalized and the financing secured. And finally, obtaining permits from a City Council that won't be too happy about the new Palau being direct competition with the Sant Jordi for hosting major events. Meanwhile, matches will continue at the old Palau Blaugrana: it won't be demolished until the new one is operational.