Barcelona have confirmed they have received permission to return to Camp Nou at a reduced capacity, but the La Liga leaders have declined the opportunity to do so.
Club officials had publicly vowed to be back at Camp Nou for the start of the current campaign, but soon had to accept defeat after local officials refused to authorize a return amid concerns over the stadium’s safety.
Promises of an imminent homecoming have been pushed further and further back, but the approval has now been issued and Barcelona have been granted permission to host matches at Camp Nou with a maximum occupancy of 25,991 fans in the main stand and behind the south goal.
However, despite being free to return to their spiritual home, Barcelona have confirmed they will continue to delay the move until they are free to open up even more of the stadium.
Receiving a license for “Phase 1B,” the opening of another area of the stadium, would take the maximum capacity up to 45,401, and only at that point will Barcelona consider a move back to Camp Nou.
According to AS, Barcelona’s logic is simple. While they are playing at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, they can attract a maximum capacity of over 55,000. In no uncertain terms, that generates far more money than the 25,991 currently permitted inside Camp Nou.
“We hope that Phase 1B, which would accommodate 47,000 spectators, will be approved soon, because the works are finished and it’s a matter of permits and project validation, and it’s simpler than the approved phase,” Barcelona vice-president Elena Fort told RAC1.
Asked for a target date, Fort added: “Any date would be good, because what we want is to return, but the end of November, whether it’s against Athletic or Getafe, which would coincide with the club’s 126th anniversary, would be a great match.”
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Barcelona Have Delayed Camp Nou Homecoming Despite Receiving Permission to Return.
