The new Spotify Camp Nou is getting more beautiful every day. Fans are eagerly awaiting their return to the stadium, and Barça is racing against time to play at home again by the end of 2024. On June 29, after two weekends without work due to complaints from Les Corts residents, workers returned to the job. The club showcased the progress of the project on its social media channels.

Locker rooms like at... Metropolitano?

Barça released a video showing the progress at the Spotify Camp Nou construction site and revealed some details and curiosities about the project. They compared photos of the old Camp Nou with those showing the current state of construction. The club described this view as not suitable for nostalgics.

The construction progress is evident, particularly with the erection of pillars that will support the three rings of the stadium's outer façade. The next phase of work will focus on food service points and various stalls that will become an integral part of match days. The club also unveiled the design of the FC Barcelona locker room. The most notable feature is its similarity to Atlético de Madrid's locker room at Civitas Metropolitano.

Among the coincidences is the upper lighting coming from a large central panel displaying the club's crest. The players’ lockers have a similar design with photos of the players and hanging uniforms. The main difference is that the Camp Nou locker room is square, while the one at Civitas Metropolitano is more circular, likely due to the internal structure of the stadium itself.

New contract and audit

A few days ago, FC Barcelona signed a sponsorship deal with Figueras Seating, under which the world-renowned specialist will become the new supplier of VIP seats for two seasons, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027.

ILUNION Accessibility has begun an accessibility audit of the new stadium and surrounding areas for FC Barcelona. On June 21, a team of experts visited the construction site. ILUNION Accessibility is a benchmark in carrying out highly complex and extensive projects with a 360° approach, covering accessibility in physical and digital environments, information and communication, as well as processes and services.

The goal is for everyone, regardless of their abilities, to have access to all services at this facility. For FC Barcelona's new stadium, accessibility has been considered from the start of the architectural project, which facilitates its approach, planning, and implementation, reports ILUNION. The accessibility audit is part of an agreement signed on May 23 by FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta and ONCE Social Group President Miguel Carballeda.

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Authorities examine workers' conditions

Several workers have complained about not being paid for work done at the new Barcelona stadium construction site. The Generalitat de Catalunya is investigating the matter, and the investigation has been ongoing for several months. El Periódico revealed that companies face fines of up to 1.5 million € for non-payment to workers at Camp Nou. Over 16,000 overtime hours were worked without any compensation. Out of 59 companies involved in the project, 4 have been found to have violated workers' rights. Despite this, these companies continue to work on the new Barcelona stadium.

For several months, the living conditions of these workers have been known. A minimum wage around 400 €, 10-hour days, little rest... all this led Treballa agents to appear at Camp Nou in November to thoroughly inspect the working conditions. As if that wasn't enough, local residents have repeatedly complained about the noise from the machinery. The Labor Inspectorate decided to attempt a notification process to correct the violations these companies committed against their workers. If not, the case will go to court.

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Financial situation stabilizing?

Barcelona is close to launching a new financial lever by selling catering rights at the new Camp Nou to an American company. The profit from this will be 30 million €. La Liga's economic department has already approved this and two other operations conducted by Barcelona, involving negotiations with Nike and the management of Barça Vision. These have been three very intense years, with many things to do, but we have worked very well, and we are satisfied with this work because the club's finances are recovering, and we will soon have good news on this matter, said Laporta, quoted by Ok Diario. The club is confident that the amounts obtained from the aforementioned operations will provide sufficient Fair Play to return to the 1:1 rule, which pertains to transfer market activities.

City authorities fighting to the end

The Barcelona City Council's Sports Councilor, David Escudé, maintains his stance on the possibility of Barcelona's stadium hosting the final of the 2030 World Cup, despite Estadio Santiago Bernabéu being the more likely candidate. We are working on it, we are not stopping at anything. It's worth being strong. We have great competitors, such as Madrid and Morocco, but the final decision is still ahead of us, he said in an interview with Diairo Sport.

© Espai Héctor

Will return to be delayed?

FC Barcelona planned to return to their stadium in November 2024, coinciding with the club's 125th anniversary, to maximize commercial revenues. However, as reported by El Español, the club is now considering delaying the return to Camp Nou until March 2025, taking advantage of the FIFA calendar to buy time and complete all necessary works.