Barcelona will definitely remain at Montjuic throughout January. The club has not officially announced this, but it can be inferred from ticket sales. At the same time, Blaugrana have been informed of the latest date for leaving the replacement stadium.

January falls off the list of predictions

Many sensed this, but few dared to say it out loud, as progress on construction sites of this size is not seen every day and it is easy to get it wrong. However, with each passing week it became clear that the dates for the return to Camp Nou, even after two postponements and non-transparent declarations, would be almost impossible to meet.

The Blaugrana's management avoided specifying an exact date after failing to return in November, for the club's 125th anniversary, and then in December or early January. However, Laporta promised that if not at the end of January, then at the beginning of February, meaning either on January 26 against Valencia or on February 2 against Alavés.

The first option has just fallen through, as the club has started selling tickets for the Barcelona-Atalanta Champions League match to be played on January 29 at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. When we return to Camp Nou, it will be permanently, not for one game; we will not have two stadiums open, said Joan Sentelles, director of Espai Barça in October, and this means that a January return is no longer possible.

© Alecaom | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Possibilities: February, March, April or.... September

Although there are seats in the stands, it is still a small fraction of the expected 60,000. However, the key factors are the pitch and the surroundings. In order to play, Limak would have to clean the pitch and then prepare the ground, and even if the turf was brought in from outside and not seeded, it would take one to two weeks. According to Relevo, the club estimates that the process would take two months. The pitch is currently full of containers, materials and machinery.

Relevo also reports that not a single seat has yet been installed in the VIP box, and that the surroundings should be ready in February or March, the months when return predictions are currently set. The most pessimistic are already talking about a return in the 2025/26 season. Barcelona have already asked to extend the Montjuic lease until March as a precautionary measure and, according to Relevo, they have done it again, this time until the end of the season. However, as it turns out, the Blaugrana will be forced to leave the Olympic stadium earlier.

The date FC Barcelona will leave the Estadi Lluís Companys

Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM), the body responsible for managing the Anella Olímpica facilities, has informed the Catalan club of the decision that FC Barcelona will not be allowed to use Montjuic from May 1. Concerts and other cultural events are scheduled for this month, which will prevent football matches from taking place.

In theory, this date should not put FC Barcelona at risk, whose board of directors has never officially communicated that Camp Nou would be available that late. On the other hand, the subsequent delays speak for themselves. Limak will certainly be doing everything possible to make it in time for May - in which case they will not suffer the financial penalty caused by failing to meet the deadlines. If the degree of progress does not allow Barcelona to return to the stadium in May, the club will be forced to look for another solution - the most likely would be a move to the Estadi Johan Cruyff, the venue of the women's team and Barcelona B.

© frank-jasperneite.de | Estadi Johan Cruyff