FC Barcelona received this Monday the Final Construction Certificate (CFO) of the Spotify Camp Nou, a requirement that allows the club to directly process with the Ajuntament the first occupancy license that will allow the Estadi to reopen with a partial capacity of 27,000 spectators.
In principle, the club hopes to receive a response from the Ajuntament this week, which keeps open the possibility of playing matchday 7 of LaLiga, against Real Sociedad on Sunday the 28th (21:00 CEST) back in Les Corts. What is almost 100% ruled out is playing in the culé temple against Getafe on Sunday the 21st, for matchday 5.
The CFO of phase 1A of the Spotify Camp Nou: which areas of the Estadi are ready?
However, everything will depend on the next inspection by the municipality of the first two tiers of the Tribuna and Gol Sud, the only areas enabled for the moment in the culé temple. Later, the Lateral will be enabled, expanding the capacity to 45,000 seats.
The objective before the end of the year is to finish the first two levels of the Gol Nod, to expand the capacity to 60,000. At the end of each phase, the club has to repeat the procedure with the sending of the CFO for the enabling of each area.
The Certificate is a complex document to process, since it requires the signature of up to five different entities that guarantee the completion of each phase of the project. Among them, in addition to the club itself and the construction company in charge (Limak) are:
- Construction management of the UTE of Torrella Ingeniería-Arquitectura and JG Ingenieros
- Construction execution management of Tècnics G3
- Safety and Health Coordinator (SGS)
- College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC)
- College of Technical Architecture of Barcelona
In addition, Barça will send the rest of the complementary documentation (before Thursday) so that the inspectors of the Ajuntament can evaluate whether or not the Spotify Camp Nou complies with the technical and safety requirements necessary for its reopening.
The deadline to obtain the first occupancy license can take several weeks or even months in projects that do not comply with the documentation and requirements. In a previous visit (in mid-August), the inspectors of the consistory detected more than 200 deficiencies in phase 1A of the Estadi.
Barcelona will not filter new alternative dates for the return to the Camp Nou
Solving these irregularities delayed the obtaining of the CFO and, therefore, prevented the club from playing the first two matchdays of LaLiga at Camp Nou. Understanding that the deadlines are very tight, the board is committed to maintaining the Johan Cruyff as the venue for the match next Sunday against Getafe, for matchday 5.
Similarly, the possibility of returning to Montjuïc for the Champions League remains open. Barcelona receives Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 and, if both the Ajuntament and UEFA object to the culé temple, there will be no other choice but to play at the Lluís Companys. At least until the Spotify is operational, perhaps, in its phase 1B.
Therefore, the board, this time, prefers to avoid giving specific dates for the return to the Estadi. The confidence of returning on Sunday the 28th against Real Sociedad is high, but there are also ready alternatives (El Johan Cruyff and Montjuïc) to be activated in case of a new delay.
"We will soon return home, I cannot specify the moment because it depends on the permits", commented Joan Laporta last week, during the Diada de Catalunya. The vice president Elena Fort stated the same in an interview for 'RAC1'.
"Hopefully next week this more bureaucratic part will be resolved. When we have certainties, we will go step by step". For Barcelona, reopening the Spotify Camp Nou is essential for sports and financial planning in 25/26, due to all the extra expenses involved in keeping the first team playing in other venues and the expectation generated in members and fans.