The date for the planned opening of Camp Nou is imminent, but work is still far from over. The club has modified the calendar to make it in time for December. We have also learned of another new solution borrowed from the NFL and a new collaboration. Meanwhile, speculation about Leo Messi's possible return to Camp Nou are far from over.

All hands on deck!

Looking at the current state of Camp Nou, it is hard to believe that La Liga matches will return to the stadium in December or early January, as President Joan Laporta has promised. Apart from the metal pillars, the third level of stands is non-existent, the field is covered with building materials, containers and heavy equipment, and the existing structure of the stadium is nothing more than a concrete skeleton for the time being.

To avoid a scenario in which the return to Camp Nou is delayed by up to a few months, the club has modified the work schedule. As reported by Mundo Deportivo, work on the canopy, planned for September, will be postponed until the second half of 2025 to focus on completing the elements necessary for FC Barcelona's return to the stadium.

© Espai Héctor

Control centre

In a previous article we wrote about the skywalk that Blaugrana borrowed from Tottenham, but this time the club's planners have glanced across the ocean to introduce a new solution at Camp Nou. This is the control room, which will be located on the second level of the south stand (Gol Sud).

From the control room, it will be possible to monitor the situation in the stadium in real time and react to unforeseen situations. FC Barcelona experienced the effectiveness of such a solution when, during friendly clashes against Manchester City at Camping World Stadium and Real Madrid at MetLife Stadium, bad weather led to the evacuation of the stands. Both went off without incident thanks to an efficient security system.

© Espai Héctor

1:1

Another piece of news is that the club has signed a deal with Aramark, which has received a stake in Espai Barça and Barça Vision in exchange for €40 million, according to Mundo Deportivo and Sport. The company also becomes the new catering provider at the new Camp Nou.

With this deal, FC Barcelona closes the 2023/24 season without financial losses and will be able to spend as much money on transfers as comes into its budget, as per the 1:1 rule. This is a great relief for the club, whose financial problems had so far significantly limited their ability to sign new players.

© Alecaom

Barça dreams of Messi's return

Leo Messi may not appear at the inauguration of Inter Miami's new stadium, but in return, he may inaugurate the new Camp Nou, even if it is not 100% completed. Deco and Laporta have assured in the past that they would organise a proper farewell for Messi, which he never had. A friendly match against Inter Miami at Blaugrana's new temple sounds like the perfect opportunity to honour the most important player in the club's history.

However, the obstacle is the calendar, which is difficult to reconcile due to the different start and end dates of the season in Europe and the US. Asked by Mundo Deportivo about this possibility, Xavi Asensi, Inter Miami's business director, replied It depends when... let's talk about it, which fired the imagination of fans and gave room for further speculation. For now, however, the date, format and whether the game will be organised at all remains a mystery.