Joan Laporta secures a truce and UEFA accepts his request

The construction work at Spotify Camp Nou is underway and is expected to be completed in 2026. The stadium will feature significant improvements in terms of accessibility and sustainability. Among the most notable features are two rings of VIP boxes, a circular boulevard, and a scoreboard with three giant screens. The official inauguration is scheduled for September 24 next year.

Barça's return to Camp Nou still doesn't have a date, and Joan Laporta's plans are becoming even more complicated. Barça has not yet received the Final Construction Certificate, and the chances of playing the Champions League group stage and the league match against Valencia are fading. Barça expects to receive the final construction certificate at the end of the month, which is when it will submit the file to the City Council.

The administration must approve it for the granting of the first occupancy license. The council has already modified its protocol to allow Barça to open Camp Nou by zones. Normally, the first occupancy license usually takes between two and three months once the final construction certificate is received. Barça, meanwhile, intends for the Mossos, firefighters, and the city council to end up granting the necessary license within two weeks.

Barça Gains Time

Joan Laporta managed to gain some time for Barça's return to Spotify Camp Nou in the Champions League. According to Catalunya Ràdio, UEFA would have visited the ongoing construction at the stadium and would have accepted the club's request to start playing away from Camp Nou. This way, Barça would not play at home until the end of September, thus gaining time.

It should be noted that UEFA requires teams to play the group stage in the same venue. Therefore, Barça will have to play all four home matches either at Camp Nou or Montjuïc. The club has August 28 as the deadline to confirm to UEFA the venue where it will play its matches. This way, Barça gains two weeks, and the opening match of the competition will be played around the 18th of next month.

Technicians and Firefighters

The technicians from the Barcelona City Council and the firefighters have already stated that they will not simply grant the license to Barça. One of the sources in the Barcelona council said: "We have a lot at stake, we must be very rigorous with such a complex project." "Working with Barça is complicated because of the pressure we receive," the same source added.

Other organizations that must also give their opinion on Barça's return to Spotify Camp Nou are La Liga and UEFA. The top European body is usually very strict with its basic requirements and is not usually in favor of matches being played in stadiums under construction. Barça wants to play the entire season at Camp Nou, opening different areas as they become ready.

UEFA, meanwhile, requires registering an alternative stadium, which in this case will be the Olímpic de Montjuïc. Laporta is in a hurry to return to Camp Nou because of some commercial agreements the club has signed. The continuous delays in the construction work for various reasons are causing a constant headache for the blaugrana president.