The seemingly never-ending Camp Nou return saga just got another twist, with Barcelona now pondering the possibility of waiting until November to return to their spiritual home.
According to various reports in Spain. the club could wait to make a return to the Camp Nou until both lateral grandstands are given the green light to host fans.
The original plan was for the first stage of the reopening was to host 27,000 fans by opening the Tribuna and Garda Sur (the first level stands behind the benches and the southern goal). By waiting until November, the lateral stand could also be ready, upping the stadium’s capacity to around 45,000.
After hosting their first two home games of the season at the 6,000 capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff, Barcelona returned to their home for the past two seasons at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and hosted close to 55,000 fans in the win vs. Real Sociedad. An even larger figure is expected for the home bout against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Why Barcelona Could Delay the Return to Camp Nou Until November
With Barcelona firmly back in Montjuic, club higher-ups are of the thought that a Camp Nou return with a capacity of 27,000 fans could be unfavorable for two reasons.
The club stand to make more income by staying put at Montjuic, where they can host double the capacity of what they could if they return to the Camp Nou with the first occupation license.
Furthermore, a return under the first occupation license would also slow down construction work, meaning it would take longer for the lateral stand to be completed. According to Sport, technicians believe the lateral stand could be ready by November without much trouble, dependent on there no games being played at the Camp Nou beforehand.
UEFA have scheduled Barcelona’s Oct. 21 Champions League home match against Olympiacos at the Camp Nou. However, UEFA also requires the lateral grandstand to be ready, making it likely the game is played at Montjuic.
If Barcelona do make their return to Camp Nou following the November international break, then the Nov. 23 match against Athletic Bilbao could be the target. If this materializes, then the stadium would reopen one year after originally expected.
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Set New Target Camp Nou Return Date Amid Further Delays.
