Barcelona to not play its home matches at Camp Nou for 2023-24 season; here's why

Barcelona has been playing its home matches at Camp Nou since 1957. However, it won't be playing at the venue during the 2023-24 season. Here is why....

Barcelona has had its permanent home venue in the form of Camp Nou since 1957. However, it won't be its home for the 2023-24 season. It is because the stadium would be undergoing some renovation work. As a result, the club would be playing all its season matches at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. A deal for the same was struck between the club and Barcelona City Council via Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM), which manages the temporary venue. Barcelona president Joan Laporta, along with institutional vice-president Elena Fort and Jordi Llaurado (Espai Barca manager), detailed the terms of the agreement with BSM president Jaume Collboni.

Per the agreement, Barcelona will be using the Olympic Stadium between August 2023 and May 2024, while the venue will have a seating capacity of 55,000. The club will also access the stadium facilities on matchdays for pre and post-match purposes. The Catalan can also regularly use the stadium for training and hosting its women's team matches, reports ANI.

Also, Barcelona will have access to the venue's pitch, terraces, press box, changing rooms, indoor parking lots and more. Currently, the club is assessing adaptations through the technical services it needs to make at the venue based on the requirements of the tournaments it plays in. While Barcelona would make the investments for the same, Laporta feels that the same would cost between €15-20 million.

Also, to make things easier for the fans, City Council and Barcelona will prepare a mobility plan to improve public transport, along with sustainable mobility, besides having extraordinary maintenance and security services. This plan is expected to cost around €7.2 million. While the Catalan will invest 64% of it, the remaining would be done by City Council.