Barcelona has played at Camp Nou since 1957, when the iconic stadium first opened.
With a capacity of 99,354, Camp Nou is the largest football stadium in Europe. As well as being the home of Barcelona, it has hosted some of football’s most important matches, including five at the 1982 World Cup and two European Championships. Champions League final.
When 91,648 people watched Barcelona Women beat Wolfsburg in the 2021/22 Women’s Champions League, it also set a record for the highest attendance in women’s club football history.
For the 2023/24 season, however, Barcelona will not play in their home stadium, but will go to Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where the 1992 Olympic Games took place. But why doesn’t Barcelona play at Camp Nou? FourFourTwo describes everything you need to know below.
Why doesn’t Barcelona play at Camp Nou?
Simply put, Camp Nou is undergoing a massive renovation project that will make the stadium almost unrecognizable from its current guise.
In fact, work on the project had begun before the end of the 2022/23 season, with much of part of the third tier being removed during the 2022 World Cup stopover.
Barcelona has been planning essential repairs to Camp Nou since 2014, when plans for the work were first approved by the club’s board members. However, due to financial difficulties, Covid and a change in club presidency there has been a long delay in actually starting work.
But finally these renovations are being carried out, with Barcelona having to find a new home for the 2023/24 season. They are expected to return in November 2024 with fewer people, while the stadium is still under construction. Contractors are aiming for completion of all work on Camp Nou by the end of 2026, with President Joan Laporta even suggesting that a tribute to Lionel Messi could reopen the stadium to its full capacity.
Why is Camp Nou being renovated?
Although it is the largest stadium in Europe, Camp Nou actually has a number of issues that need to be addressed, not least the safety issues.
In recent years, a number of reports have been published highlighting concerns about the structural integrity of the soil La Vanguardia even suggested there was a “risk of fragments falling onto supporters in walkways” and called for “immediate action”. Indeed, 21 matches were played at the Camp Nou in 2019 and 2020, despite serious structural problems, putting supporters at risk.
Laporta even admitted in 2021 when he was elected president that immediate action was needed to get Camp Nou through security checks, generating further short-term investment while the long-term project loomed in the background.
During the renovation, the entire third layer will be demolished, and all supporting structures will be removed and replaced. This plan aims to increase the number of available VIP seats, improving revenue streams for the club. Other foundation work will also be demolished to strengthen the stadium and ensure it meets safety requirements.
The capacity will also be increased from 99,354 seats to 105,000, with a roof covered with 30,000 square meters of solar panels. A 360-degree screen will also wrap around the entire interior of the stadium, while it will be rebranded as Spotify Camp Nou as part of a lucrative sponsorship deal worth £237 million.
New office complexes, green spaces, event areas and an on-site hotel will be added outside the stadium, as will a smaller arena – the Palau Blaugrana – which will house the club’s basketball and futsal team.
How much will the Camp Nou renovations cost?
In total, Barcelona expects to spend €1.5 billion on the project, with 20 different banks and lenders all helping the club pay the costs. Fortunately for the club, this figure is not included in UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) rules.
“The club will start repaying the operation once work on the stadium is complete, using revenue generated by Camp Nou, which is expected to amount to around €247 million a year,” said Barca.
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