The Blaugrana were meant to host Valencia in their refurbished home on Sunday, but they’ll be playing at a 6,000-seater stadium instead
On a sunny Monday morning at Camp Nou on May 29, 2023, Barcelona president Joan Laporta gathered local dignitaries and key figures from the club for an event marking the start of reconstruction work at one of the most iconic arenas in football. The first brick was laid, a time capsule was buried beneath the pitch and there were numerous photos filled with smiling faces.
“Since the opening of Camp Nou in 1957, it has been our home and a source of pride for all Barca fans and we want it to stay that way,” a beaming Laporta said. “The new Spotify Camp Nou will become a reality, a collective dream for all Barca fans and, at the same time, it will be a legacy for our children and grandchildren.
“Now we have to go through a process, the construction process, and we must be excited about that. When we come back here, we will be stronger than ever. It will coincide with our Club’s 125th anniversary (November 29, 2024), when the stadium will be ready for us to get what we want from it.”
However, more than 10 months on from the first of several missed deadlines, the refurbished Camp Nou is still not ready to reopen – and that’s one of the two reasons why Barcelona will be playing their first home game of the season at a 6,000-seater arena beside their training ground. The other is Post Malone…