Although initially planning to return to the Camp Nou at the end of winter, the Blaugrana club is reportedly considering requesting an extension of its contract to use the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.

Construction projects often have a clear start date, but their completion is always uncertain. FC Barcelona is experiencing this firsthand with the renovations at the Camp Nou, where their return keeps getting postponed. Initially planned for late November to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary, the return was first delayed to December, then January, and later to February. However, these projections now appear overly optimistic, and the return may still take several more weeks.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the FC Barcelona board is set to meet this week with BSM, a company directly tied to Barcelona City Council, to request a one-month extension of their contract to use the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. This additional time would allow Hansi Flick’s team to play at Montjuïc until the end of April 2025. The goal is to complete the final adjustments necessary for football to return to the historic Blaugrana home.

El Clásico at the Camp Nou?

According to the Catalan sports daily, work on the Camp Nou is progressing quickly to ensure everything is ready on time. The city’s fire department has reportedly already approved the stadium’s access and evacuation plans and is awaiting inspection of the pitch to authorize entry for approximately 60,000 spectators per match. This capacity will remain reduced while work on the third tier is completed, eventually increasing the Camp Nou's seating to nearly 105,000.

The club’s management aims to return to the Camp Nou in May, with the possibility of hosting El Clásico against Real Madrid on May 11 or even the second leg of a potential Champions League semifinal on May 6 or 7. According to Mundo Deportivo, UEFA would not object to this, as the European body only requires clubs to play the entire group stage in the same stadium.

However, it remains to be seen whether BSM will approve Barcelona's request for an extension, as three concerts are scheduled to take place at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in May. These events require the stage to be set up at least three weeks in advance, starting in April. This creates a tight schedule, especially since FC Barcelona is set to host two home matches during that period: against Celta Vigo on April 20 and Mallorca on April 23.