Barcelona’s return to the Spotify Camp Nou in September was always racing against the construction clock. While the club targeted an early-season homecoming after two years at Montjuïc, UEFA requir...
Barcelona’s return to the Spotify Camp Nou in September was always racing against the construction clock.
While the club targeted an early-season homecoming after two years at Montjuïc, UEFA requires clubs to lock in their Champions League venue by the end of August, putting Barça up against a hard deadline just as the stadium reopens in phases.
Camp Nou not yet fit to host UCL matches
As reported by COPE, that timeline now looks even tighter. The first phase of Camp Nou’s reopening does not include the side stands, and that detail is decisive for Europe.
UEFA’s broadcast specifications depend on those stands to install television cameras and guarantee approved filming angles – requirements the current configuration simply cannot meet.
Without the side stands, Barcelona cannot provide the standard camera platforms and lines of sight needed for international TV production.
Barcelona are racing against time to return to Camp Nou (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Even with the pitch and lower tiers ready for domestic action, the stadium in its phase-one state falls short of UEFA’s minimum set-up for Champions League matches.
As a contingency, the club has requested a permit from the municipality to continue using the Montjuic for Champions League nights if UEFA does not sign off on Camp Nou for the group stage.
This would preserve continuity for European fixtures while construction proceeds inside the Blaugrana’s permanent home.
With UEFA’s confirmation window closing in August, Barcelona must communicate their final European venue imminently.
The most likely outcome, barring a swift change, is a split arrangement: domestic fixtures at the partially reopened Camp Nou, and Champions League group games at Montjuïc until the side stands are back in operation.
Category: General Sports
