Barcelona considering returning to Camp Nou without toilets inside ground in February

Barcelona President Joan Laporta remains adamant that work is on track for the club to return home to Camp Nou by the end of 2024, but there are conflicting reports surrounding just how ready the stadium will be by then.

Laporta assured fans last week that work was on course to be back before the end of the year, with the club desperate to get back due to the financial impact of playing at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys at Montjuic. While they would not be able to return with a full capacity at Camp Nou, not only are they paying Barcelona Council to play at Montjuic, their attendances have been hit hard, with their current season-ticket holder numbers at less than a third of the usual Camp Nou numbers.

Bar Canaletes detail that club are considering returning to Camp Nou in February with a capacity of  64,000 fans, a move which would require postponing the construction of the third tier, and focusing all of the efforts on the first and second tiers. There would be no toilets plumbed into the stadium, which would instead be placed around the ground. Giant screens would cover up the work, but it would save the club millions no doubt in rent at Montjuic too.

Originally Barcelona had planned to be back at their home stadium around the 29th of November to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary, but delays have already had that plan scrapped. The Blaugrana this week also secured a month-long permit from Barcelona Council to work 24 hours per day on the stadium to try and accelerate the work, and bring their return closer.