The Camp Nou failure: "Barça prioritized VIP seating over access."

The pressure on Limak's subcontractors at Camp Nou has increased considerably in recent weeks. There is tension among senior management at the Turkish company, which has increased the number of personnel at the stadium, but not as much as it would like, as there are areas where progress has not been as expected due to lack of security or the necessary permits .

The reason is none other than the club 's continued delays in the deadlines set for the stadium's first phase of inauguration, a venue that would welcome 27,000 Barça fans. The appearance of Camp Nou, as broadcast via the club's live stream , shows that the pitch, seats in the required stands, and the benches are ready.

However, the main problem, according to this newspaper, lies within and around the stadium. The paving and minimum access points are not ready. As a result, the license has not yet been approved, and Barça will play its first home match on September 14 against Valencia at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.

Access, the big problem

The board of directors, led by Joan Laporta, got caught short in November 2024 and also last August, when they had to hold the Gamper Stadium at the venue where their reserve team, Barça Atlètic, and the women's team play. With the end of the fiscal year looming and the 2026 elections just around the corner, Joan Laporta had hoped to have already opened the Camp Nou. However, in September 2025, it still hasn't been inaugurated .

Indeed, technicians need to verify that the circuits are suitable, that there will be no traffic jams in case of panic , the security system, evacuations... the surrounding urbanization must also be in perfect condition. " The access roads are not finished, and there has been a delay in paving some areas. The initial plan was to be ready for the match against Valencia, but we already knew it would be very complicated ," say sources familiar with the status of the works.

"The deficiencies recorded at the stadium have prevented the leveling of the ground with concrete and the completion of some of the necessary work to adapt the access points . Things were done quickly and poorly , in a hurry, which had to be repeated, and VIP seats were also prioritized over the access points. Now everything means a further delay," Camp Nou workers add.

VIP seats

"So , waterproof layers that are passable have been laid down to see if the technicians agree. The passages and access points need to be secured. The goal now is to have the Camp Nou perimeter ready by October ," they conclude.

As several Camp Nou construction workers have already pointed out to this newspaper, the priority for Barça's main staff was to complete the Camp Nou VIP seats . Accounting discrepancies with the auditor, Crowe, prevented the validation of the 475 VIP seats sold over 25 years to New Era Visionary Group and Fort Advisors Limited.

Those €100 million are vital to returning to LaLiga's 1/1 rule for financial control and would have allowed the Catalans to operate normally in the transfer market. The auditor, so far, has not considered the seats to be exploitable for accounting purposes , as the stadium is closed.