FC Barcelona's board of directors has confirmed that Limak Construction will be responsible for the construction and renovation of the Spotify Camp Nou. The planned start date for the major part of the renovation is June 2023.

Limak Holding is a Turkish conglomerate with interests mainly in construction, energy and tourism. Its assets include Limak Cement and Limak Energy, as well as Limak Tourism Group. However, it has no experience in the construction of a large sports venues such as the Spotify Camp Nou. To date, the company has only been responsible for the construction of the Mersin Arena in Turkey, which can hold 25,000 spectators. The arena has been awarded three stars by UEFA and the fourth division team Yeni Mersin plays there on a daily basis. The stadium cost €100 million to build.

At a press conference attended by FC Barcelona vice-president Elena Fort, journalists had their doubts, which they were not afraid to express. In their opinion, the Turkish company has too little experience in stadium construction. Fort is of the opinion that this is not always a necessary requirement - many technical issues were taken into account when choosing the winner of the bid. She pointed out that it was Limak that built the best airport in the world in Istanbul, and in terms of civil facilities, it is one of the best construction companies in the world. She added that the architects of the stadium supported the choice of this company.

© FC Barcelona

The procedure for selecting the right company had five stages. Once the companies were selected, they were informed of the conditions Barcelona presented. The club then evaluated the bids and later reviewed them in detail from a technical and financial point of view. A representative from the Blaugrana's compliance department admitted that the process had clear criteria and was conducted in a transparent manner. A maximum cost for carrying out the work was also set, which cannot be exceeded - at around €900 million.

Elena Fort outlined the construction schedule. Work is expected to start as early as June, as soon as league and cup games are over. Barcelona will move to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in the 2023/2024 season, and is expected to return to Camp Nou on 29 November 2024 to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary. The vice-president pointed out that most of the work will be completed by then. Barca will play in a partially open facility and construction is expected to be completed in June 2026. This approximate date is a key issue for the Barcelona authorities, and Limak Construction has agreed to these terms.

The Turkish holding company was established in 1976 and has become the second largest construction company in Turkey. According to Engineering News-Record, it is also among the world's 250 largest in its sector. Worth noting, the founder of Limak Construction is Nihat Ozdemir, who was president of the Turkish Football Association for three years. The fifth richest Turk according to Forbes is now the honorary president of the company that will be responsible for the redevelopment of Barcelona's stadium.

© FC Barcelona