‘Almost Impossible’—Barcelona’s Camp Nou Return Put in Danger

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Sports Illustrated FC

·29 Juni 2025

‘Almost Impossible’—Barcelona’s Camp Nou Return Put in Danger

There is “growing pessimism” around Barcelona’s imminent return to Camp Nou, with reports in Spain calling into question the likelihood of the club’s recent grand proclamations.

The reigning La Liga champions revealed earlier this week that Barcelona would be back at their spiritual home for the Joan Gamper trophy, a traditional season-opening friendly, on August 10.

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This is ahead of the schedule outlined by club president Joan Laporta a few weeks earlier, when he claimed that Barcelona would be back in September. There are several hoops for the club to still jump through before they can return, whenever that may be.

Barcelona’s first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, explained that the construction cannot be approved by city council technicians because “they have to finish the first phase, the galleries, and the first and second tier,” as quoted by AS.

Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium has been under reconstruction for two years. / IMAGO/NurPhoto

The Madrid-based outlet pointed out that Barcelona cannot receive a provisional first occupancy permit until the first phase of reconstruction was completed. This is yet to happen.

Those who hand out the permits “risk criminal liability” should an incident take place, ensuring that nothing will be rushed. These rigorous protocols also have to go through the added layer of the Spanish Association of Developers and Builders.

Association head Xavi Vilajoana revealed that he was “surprised” by Barcelona’s announcement. “Any company in the sector is required to meet a series of requirements to prevent things from happening,” he explained. “I hope and am convinced that this will be the case if all the permits are approved. I don’t think anyone will break the law because the law is made the same for everyone.”

Barcelona vice president Elena Fort—the same person who insisted that fans would return to Camp Nou “at the end of November 2024, barring a catastrophe”—claimed that the renovated ground could hold 60,000 people for August’s friendly. Vilajoana bluntly described that prediction as “almost impossible.”