Barcelona insists that he will return to Camp Nou in May. This means that the team led by Hansi Flick would play in the neighborhood of Les Corts the last two games of the League: the classic against Real Madrid (May 11) and the duel against Villarreal (May 18). In addition, it could house the hypothetical semifinal of the Champions League, whose first leg would be played between April 29 and 30 and the return between May 6 and 7. “We continue with the plan to return to Spotify Camp Nou after the match against Mallorca,” they say from the Barcelona offices.
Nothing changes in Barcelona. Or, at least, nothing has changed since the Catalan entity announced that it would prolong its exile in Montjuïc until April 23, date on which they will receive Mallorca. The return to Camp Nou has been a topic as recurring as a variable for the Board that Joan Laporta chairs. The initial idea was to play again at Camp Nou in November 2024, coinciding with the celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the club. “We will return with 70% of the safe capacity. But if it doesn’t happen, there will be consequences for Limak [la empresa constructora]. The most serious will be a penalty of one million euros per day of delay. However, it will not happen. They work at a very good pace and always meet the deadlines of their works. It is one of its strengths, ”Laporta said in 2023. In the same line, Elena Fort, social vice president of the club, said:“ If there is no pandemic or a world catastrophe, we will be at Camp Nou on November 29, 2024 ″
However, the 125th anniversary arrived and Barcelona continued in Montjuïc. “Until the group stage of the Champions League ends, but we are working to guarantee adequate conditions,” Laporta said in December. Meanwhile, at the club they claimed that the new goal was to return to the neighborhood of Les Corts in February. But it didn’t happen either. “I will be happy when we can return. That is the situation for now, ”said Hansi Flick, Barcelona coach, before receiving Atalanta on the last day of the Champions League group stage on Wednesday.
The reality is that there is no concrete date for the return to Camp Nou, nor news about the supposed penalty of Limak for delays. As if the situation was no longer precarious, in January a new inconvenience emerged: the possible European Rolling Stones tour, which would begin in May in Montjuïc. A concert that would make the preparation of the event incompatible with the presence of the Flick team at the Lluís Companys Olympic stadium. “For now, no one has confirmed the Stones concert or any other in May. Nor have we seen tickets for sale. What we do know is that Guns n ‘Roses will play here, but it will be in June, ”they explain from the offices of Barcelona.
In the club there are those who contemplate a possible move to London if the Camp Nou was not in a position to open its doors in May. “We have evaluated playing the classic in Wembley,” they said last week since the board. However, this Tuesday, after a meeting of the Barca Board, this option seems to have lost strength. The Federation, in any case, also did not see this alternative with good eyes. “It’s a matter of time,” they explained. The protocol to play the classic in Wembley would involve several actors. First, Real Madrid, whose approval would be necessary before the Federation, UEFA and FIFA approved the move to London.
The return to Camp Nou is no longer only a matter of logistics, but also money. Since its transfer to Montjuïc, Barça has suffered a decrease in income close to 100 million euros per season. For this reason, Laporta and his team budgeted the return to the stadium for this campaign. However, that return is still in the air.