Barcelona facing nightmare return to Montjuic in order to complete 105,000-seat Spotify Camp Nou renovations

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have looked unstoppable since returning to the Spotify Camp Nou last November, winning every single home match in front of their rejuvenated support. The atmosphere has been a driving force behind their title charge, but that momentum faces a significant logistical hurdle in the near future. While the club recently secured a licence to host 62,000 fans, the end goal remains a staggering 105,000-seat capacity. However, to reach that milestone, the Blaugrana must once again vacate their cathedral of football, with 2027 earmarked as the likely date for a second temporary exit.

The timeline for the Espai Barca project suggests that all three tiers of the new stadium will be completed by April 2027. This marks a major milestone, but it also triggers the most complicated phase of the build: the installation of the massive stadium roof. This engineering feat is expected to take approximately four months to complete. Because the installation requires the stadium to be entirely empty for safety and construction reasons, Barcelona will be forced to play away from Spotify Camp Nou for several weeks at the start of the 2027-28 season.

Joan Laporta, recently re-elected as president, has been weighing up the club's options for this short-term relocation. One initial plan involved moving matches to the Estadi Johan Cruyff, with plans for it to be upgraded with a view to meeting La Liga regulations. However, the financial reality of such a move is bleak. Even with upgrades, the reserve and women's team's stadium would only hold around 18,000 spectators. This would result in a massive hit to matchday revenue and leave tens of thousands of season ticket holders in the cold, making a return to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic a far more logical, if unpopular, alternative, according to AS.

While the Estadi Olimpic is far from a fan favourite due to its location and athletics track, its superior capacity makes it the primary candidate for the 2027 stint, and more fans would be able to attend in Montjuic. The final decision is expected to be formalised closer to the 2027 deadline. According to reports, club officials will speak to Barcelona City Council regarding a possible return to the Estadi Olimpic.