Barcelona to ask for a one-month extension to continue at Montjuic as Camp Nou return delayed | OneFootball

Barcelona were expected to play the second half of the season at Spotify Camp Nou, bidding adieu to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic and returning to their original home.

The renovations at the Spotify Camp Nou, however, have not quite gone as per schedule and the delay has pushed the date of a potential reopening beyond April.

Ideally, the stadium would only reopen next season after nearing completion of the renovation.

However, the Montjuic Stadium is not available beyond May owing to commitments to host other events and thus forces Barcelona into a dilemma.

A new option

Barcelona’s current agreement with the company BSM, and the Barcelona City Council sees the club allowed to utilise the stadium until the end of March.

As revealed by Mundo Deportivo, Joan Laporta and Co have planned a key meeting later this week to secure the rights to use the stadium until the end of April.

Camp Nou return to be delayed. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The one-month extension, they hope, will allow the Camp Nou enough time to at least reopen for a capacity of 60,000 spectators and take over for the final stretch of the campaign.

Barcelona are optimistic that their home ground will be ready for the final leg of the season and that the second Clasico of La Liga and a potential UEFA Champions League semifinal can be played at Camp Nou.

Should BSM give the green light, Barcelona will play Real Betis, Celta Vigo and Mallorca in Montjuic in April and the hope is that they can return home after that.

A potential Copa del Rey quarterfinal and semifinal, however, are expected to be held at Montjuic.

Notably, UEFA will not pose any problems to Barcelona changing stadium mid-season as their rules only stipulate that the league phase must be played at a single venue. Once in the knockouts, they will be free to move to an alternate venue.