‘Challenging’—Barcelona Chief Breaks Silence on Delayed Camp Nou Return

Barcelona vice-president Elena Fort has apologized to fans for the delay to the club’s return to Camp Nou.

After publicly confirming their plans to host the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 10, Barcelona were blocked from hosting fixtures at the stadium in its current state after failing to receive approval from local authorities.

“Despite our announced intention, we have reached an agreement with the city municipality to postpone the return to the Spotify Camp Nou stadium, which was scheduled for August 10 on the occasion of the Joan Gamper Trophy,” Fort told Barça One.

“The reason is the inability to strictly comply with the municipal instructions regarding the execution of the works and their deadlines, as well as the insufficient time needed to complete all the necessary procedures and transactions.”

Fort went on to argue against the ruling, insisting the regulations against which Camp Nou was held were not actually put in place to govern projects like this.

“The scale of the completed works and those still in progress makes it difficult to reconcile with a literal interpretation and application of the municipal instructions and regulations when requesting the initial occupancy permit,” Fort continued.

“It should be noted that these regulations were primarily designed for traditional buildings that are constructed, completed, and then undergo the necessary inspections before being put into use.

“However, we are dealing with a unique construction project, executed daily and changing every day; it is a living project, and for this reason, it has been challenging to align with the existing regulations.”

Just when Barcelona will return to Camp Nou remains to be seen. There are a number of complications with a delayed return, not least the UEFA ruling which means every Champions League league phase match has to be played at the same home stadium. If Barcelona are not back in Camp Nou for the start of the competition, the revamped stadium would not be able to host a European game until the knockout stages.

Fort concluded: “We are currently working with the city municipality and all relevant parties to find this alignment and to obtain the initial occupancy permit as quickly as possible.”