La Liga giants Barca have thrown big money at a lavish programme off the field, with construction work in Catalunya said to come with a €1.5 billion (£1.3bn/$1.8bn) price tag. The club’s financial struggles over recent years have made plenty of headlines.
They are willing to invest in new players and infrastructure, with long-term plans being drawn up. The hope is, having relocated to the nearby Olympic Stadium, that the Blaugrana will soon be back in familiar surroundings.
There is still plenty of work to be done at Camp Nou, especially when it comes to a retractable roof, but there is now water, electricity, security cameras, functioning bathrooms and several thousand seats – meaning that much of the venue is fully operational.
A door is yet to be fitted on Barca’s stunning new dressing room, but lockers are in and there is a place for Hansi Flick to perch on the touchline and club president Joan Laporta to enjoy behind the scenes.
It remains to be seen when Barca will step foot on the Camp Nou pitch once more, with there plenty of talk to suggest that Lionel Messi – who is now in MLS with انتر Miami – will be invited back to take part in an exhibition game that forms part of the club’s grand reopening.
