"Barcelona's return to the Nou Camp has been further delayed after the city council turned down their request for an essential permit on Tuesday. The La Liga champions were hoping to host Real Sociedad in the league on Sunday with a reduced capacity of 27,000. Instead, the fixture will be at the 55,000-seater Olympic Stadium on the city's Montjuic hill, where Barca have played for the previous two seasons during the renovation work."
"The city's fire department said there were problems with evacuation routes, among other safety issues. However, the Barca's operations director Joan Sentelles told reporters during a tour of the stadium on Tuesday: "Just because it's not finished, doesn't mean it's not safe." Sentelles also said the roof will be put on the stadium in the summer of 2027, a year later than originally planned."
The city council refused an essential permit, delaying Barcelona's return to the Nou Camp and moving the planned Real Sociedad fixture to the 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium on Montjuic. Barcelona previously used the Olympic Stadium during renovation and have played two home matches at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium. The city's fire department identified evacuation-route and other safety problems, while club operations director Joan Sentelles said the unfinished stadium remains safe and that the roof will be installed in summer 2027. Renovation work began in June 2023 costing about €1.1bn to modernise and expand capacity to 105,000; the November 2024 return target was missed. Deputy mayor Laia Bonet said guaranteeing spectator safety is the priority.
Read at www.bbc.com
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