Barcelona will not be in new 105,000-capacity stadium on time ‘unless miracle occurs’ with Nou Camp still building site
BARCELONA will need a MIRACLE if they plan on returning to the Nou Camp on time this season, according to reports.
The LaLiga giants had initially hoped to be opening their revamped ground THIS WEEKEND against Atletico Madrid.
That was pushed back to March 2025 as building work dragged on.
But reports in Spain suggest Barcelona‘s return to their £1.3billion renovated stadium could be delayed further.
It is claimed the LaLiga leaders’ chances of returning to the Nou Camp in three months time are practically zero.
And the stadium might not even be ready for the start of NEXT SEASON.
Spanish outlet Marca say Barca’s board of directors have accepted the delay is inevitable.
Construction work isn’t going at the desired pace, with the emergency exits plans and turf laying behind schedule.
Barca have been careful not to give a definitive date, with Uefa rules stating that participants in the Champions League cannot play at different home grounds during a phase of the competition.
Barcelona are second in the 36-team league phase with two games remaining, meaning it’s likely they won’t be in knockout action until March.
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If they were to finish ninth or lower, then that would mean a February play-off.
However, both dates currently seem unrealistic with large parts of the ground still needing work.
The Spanish giants moved out of the Nou Camp in May 2023, beginning the process of a major overhaul of the 67-year-old arena.
The 99,000-seater was gutted and stripped back to its raw concrete form, before countless hours of hard work started to build it back up.
Barca have been temporarily housed in the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium during the renovation.
The club have taken off the entire top tier of the stadium as they rebuild the third tier to increase the capacity of the iconic ground.
When fully completed, the stadium will house an impressive 105,000 fans – some 6,000 more than it was able to hold prior to the building work.
They had been planning on returning to stadium halfway through the 2024-25 season, but they now looks unlikely.
Barca intend to operate with just over 60 per cent capacity when they move back in.
Initially, it was hoped that Hansi Flick’s men could sport the pitch in November for the club’s 125th anniversary.
But the return could now be as late as next September – which would be the third push back.
It will be the largest and most innovative sports complex in the heart of a European city.
The modernised Nou Camp – which will be sponsored by Spotify – is set to have a number of new bars and VIP areas.
It will also have the largest roof of any stadium in Europe, with new images showing three huge screens hanging over the pitch.
The concourse and the press facilities are among the other areas to be renovated.