BARC-ING MAD
Barcelona will not be in new 105,000-capacity stadium on time ‘unless miracle occurs’ with Nou Camp still building site
Originally, Barcelona were meant to return to Camp Nou this November for the club's 125th anniversary
BARCELONA will need a MIRACLE if they plan on returning to the Nou Camp on time this season, according to reports.
The plan was to open the ground's iconic turnstiles in March 2025 - but that could now be delayed a further 10 months as building work continues.
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The LaLiga leaders chances of returning to the Nou Camp in three months time are practically zero.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is starting to accept that the club won't play at their £1.3billion renovated stadium this season.
Barca's board of directors are aware that a delay is inevitable, according to .
Construction work isn't going at the desired pace, with the emergency exits plans and turf laying behind schedule.
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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.
If Barcelona finish in the play-off positions, that will be at the start of February, if they qualify in the top eight, that will be in March.
But a return by either February or March seems 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.
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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.
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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.
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When full 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.
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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.
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