“Delay” has become synonymous with the Camp Nou renovation project, with the ongoing saga forcing Barcelona to have multiple alternative plans for home game venues in the early season.
Barcelona made their home season debut in the 6–0 win against Valencia last weekend at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. That venue will also host Barcelona’s upcoming home game against Getafe on Sept. 21, as it was revealed that the Camp Nou won’t be given the green light in time for the match.
The Catalans are yet to be able to secure the license of first occupation granted by the city council to re-open the Camp Nou and host 27,000 fans by opening the Tribuna and Garda Sur (the first level stands behind the benches and the southern goal).
David Escudé, the man in charge of the sports department in the city council, recognizes the Camp Nou renovation is a complex project and hard work is being done by all parties involved to ensure Barça can return as soon as possible. However, the reason for the delays come down to one word.
“The key word is safety,” Escudé told Catalan outlet . “Like any other construction in this city and this country, a series of regulations must be fulfilled. Nobody can breach a regulation that pursues safety, safety and safety,“
Escudé thinks that it’s normal that Barcelona have announced dates in the past for when they’ll return to the Camp Nou, given the excitement surrounding the reopening. However, because of the magnitude of the project, Escudé believes setbacks and delays are inevitable.
“You have a return date in mind but then a thousand unforeseen things can happen. We have to be prudent with these unforeseen things, regardless of what they are, they make return dates relative. I also understand the club really wanting to return home as soon as possible.”
Barcelona now hope to return to the Camp Nou for their Sept. 28 match against Real Sociedad. If they manage to achieve this deadline, the stadium could potentially host their Champions League clash against Parist Saint-Germain three days later. However, there’s still a strong possibility that they’re forced to play that game at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
In any case, despite a return to the Camp Nou seemingly nearer than ever, the saga isn’t close to being over and further delays can’t be ruled out just yet.
