Barcelona may be able to play its first La Liga match of the season at Camp Nou, following a breakthrough in negotiations with local authorities regarding stadium permits to reopen the stadium.
Barcelona announced a month ago that it would play its Joan Gamper Trophy match at Camp Nou after the stadium was relatively ready to host matches. However, the decision was reversed due to the stadium’s lack of preparation and the authorities’ refusal to grant the necessary permits.
This sparked considerable controversy over where Barça’s matches will be played next season, especially since some reports indicated that a return to the Blaugrana’s historic home would require waiting until the beginning of the new year, meaning that Barcelona would need another stadium for the first half of the season.
According to Sport, the Catalan city council has approved the amended permit, which means the stadium can be partially reopened, without requiring the full opening of the first and second divisions.
The stadium can thus accommodate approximately 27,000 spectators. However, the current dilemma is that the club is in a race against time. Construction work must be completed in less than two weeks to obtain the completion certificate. After that, the other formalities will begin to obtain the necessary approvals from La Liga and UEFA to host Barça matches.
If all goes as hoped by Joan Laporta’s administration, Camp Nou should be ready to host the match against Valencia on Matchday 5, Barça’s first home match, having received La Liga’s approval to play the first three away matches.
At the same time, it is not unlikely that Barcelona’s efforts will fail, in which case the option of returning to the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys remains open until the last minute.
