The return to Camp Nou is stalled a month before the Gamper match.

BarcelonaThe Camp Nou renovation works are visible hundreds of meters from the stadium. From a café terrace, one of the cranes can be seen moving while a truck loaded with material moves along Travessera de les Corts. There's just a month to go until the Gamper Stadium, and the rush and nerves are evident, both in the construction area and in the club offices and at City Hall, where the last battle is being fought: that of reopening.

A few days ago, Barça announced through its official channels that it would be "returning home" on August 10th to play the traditional summer tournament. But that advertising campaign only mentioned the date. It didn't even mention the guest club—which must be Como, the Italian Serie A team that coaches former Barça player Cesc Fàbregas–. And it's not even close to the capacity the venue would have. The reality is that the club couldn't guarantee how many attendees would be able to attend. Right now, they still don't know for sure. In fact, they can't even guarantee that they'll actually play the match, which isn't yet listed on the official schedule that can be consulted on the Barça website. That's why tickets haven't gone on sale yet.

The initial intention was to be able to fill the entire capacity already built. That is, the 60,000 seats in the first and second tiers. But soon, Barcelona City Council, which, together with the Fire Department, must approve the reopening with fans, began to raise objections. How This newspaper already reported a few months agoLong before the corresponding application was submitted, officials believed it would be "very difficult" to get the green light this summer. The main problem has never been the interior work, which was already assumed to be sufficiently completed, but rather the temporary access points. Also, balancing the renovation work with the massive arrival and departure of fans.

The responsibility of the City Council and the Fire Department in the reopening of Camp Nou

"People talk a lot about City Hall as if this were a political battle, and they forget that behind the reopening there's a person with a name and surname who must sign and validate it. There are 60,000 seats, and it's a huge responsibility. If the person doesn't see it clearly, they won't sign anything," says one of the sources consulted. The fact that the city council and security forces are putting up obstacles is nothing new or exclusive to the Barça stadium, this same person maintains. "Ask any builder: problems always come with permits. Especially if it's a place with a large influx of people."

The Camp Nou has had an uneven pace of construction due to delays in the delivery of materials. In other words, some areas are more advanced than others. That's why the club knew in advance that these uncertainties regarding the final capacity could arise. In the short term, they crossed their fingers and hoped for a miracle, which didn't happen. So it was necessary to adjust the forecast downwards. The idea is that by the weekend of September 14, when the first league match is played, the capacity will already be 60,000. On the other hand, the Gamper's motto is "do everything possible." For example, opening only the Grandstand section—where the main seating is located— VIP– and perhaps some of the goals. This would dramatically reduce the capacity, which would hover around 20,000 to 30,000.

Barça has already applied for a license to operate the Camp Nou.

For now, Barça has taken the first bureaucratic step and applied for a business license. This is a prerequisite for the initial occupancy permit, which will be requested in late July or early August, once the first phase of construction is completed. "For our part, it will be ready. It will depend on the City Council. We are confident," stated official Barça sources. Limak is committed to handing over the keys. of the first phase on July 31st. A pilot test is also planned that week without spectators or players, but with other actors involved in matchday operations—security, media, services, etc.—who will be summoned to the stadium to simulate the same movements they would make if there were a competition. Finally, the first week of August the temporary lawn must be replaced with the permanent one, a hybrid format, which will debut on the day of the Gamper.

If the match does end up being played, it will be with maximum provisional availability at the stadium. For fans, there will only be minimal services: no catering or elevators, for example. And the players won't be able to use the usual changing room either, as Barça's is facing downwards and players will have to change in one of the two changing rooms for the opposing team. Common sense recommended waiting until everything was much more advanced, but financial emergencies have accelerated everything.