Barcelona to leave Camp Nou once again

The long-running Camp Nou renovation project in Barcelona will once again alter the club's match schedule. The Catalan team is preparing to leave Camp Nou during the first part of the 2027-28 season for the construction of the stadium's roof.

Club vice president Ferran Olive announced that while Barcelona plans to finish the 2026-27 season at Camp Nou, the team will be forced to move to another stadium once roof work begins. The goal is to return to Camp Nou in January 2028.

NEW ADDRESS IS MONTJUIC AGAIN

Barcelona first left Camp Nou in May 2023 due to renovation work. The club spent the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, which has a capacity of approximately 45,000.

The planned return schedule was extended due to various delays, and Barcelona returned to Camp Nou in November 2025 with a capacity of approximately 45,000 for a match against Athletic Bilbao, which they won 4-0. Following recent work, the stadium's current capacity has increased to approximately 62,000.

The reason for the new departure is the technical phase of the project. It is stated that the roof must be built from the inside, construction materials will be positioned on the pitch area, and therefore it will not be possible to play matches. The work is expected to begin in May 2027, following the final home match of the 2026-27 season.

Barcelona management has reached an agreement with the city administration to reuse the Montjuic Stadium during this process. According to the club's plan, the capacity of Camp Nou will reach approximately 95,000 upon the return in January 2028. The final capacity is targeted to be 105,000.

All work on the stadium is planned to be completed by the beginning of the 2028-29 season. Camp Nou is also expected to host the Champions League final to be played on June 2, 2029.

COST AND DEBT BURDEN INCREASING

The cost of the Espai Barca project, which also includes Camp Nou, has risen significantly over the years. The project, which members approved in 2014 with a budget of 600 million euros, was targeted for completion in the 2017-2021 period. After Joan Laporta returned to the presidency in 2021, the budget was increased to 1.5 billion euros.

It is stated that the total cost has reached 1.8 billion euros with the latest revisions. Barcelona management received approval from members at the last general assembly for 510 million euros in new financing. Of this, 300 million euros will be allocated to Camp Nou construction, and 210 million euros will be allocated to daily operations and liquidity needs.

It is stated that the club's debts outside of Espai Barca will be at the level of 597 million euros as of June 2026, and this amount could exceed 800 million euros with the new financing. When the maximum financing that can be used for Espai Barca is added, it is calculated that Barcelona's total debt could exceed the 2.6 billion euro level.

On the other hand, the 300 million euro additional Camp Nou financing does not cover the new Palau Blaugrana arena, which will host non-football branches. It is stated that Laporta is working on alternative financing options for this project that will not increase the club's debt.

News Source: 12punto