Why Barcelona Still Can’t Play at the Spotify Camp Nou
The countdown to return to the Spotify Camp Nou is underway, but FC Barcelona still doesn’t have everything ready to open its stadium. The bureaucratic hurdle of the Final Work Certification (CFO) keeps the long-awaited homecoming on hold, and time is beginning to run out.
A Return Held Back by Bureaucracy
FC Barcelona is working against the clock to reopen the Spotify Camp Nou on September 14, when they are scheduled to host Valencia in LaLiga. But there’s still one key obstacle: the club does not yet have the Final Work Certification (CFO). Without this document, Barça cannot request the first occupancy license from the Barcelona City Council, a mandatory requirement to welcome the 27,000 fans expected in the initial reopening phase.
The CFO certifies that the renovation of the Main Stand and the South Goal is complete and fit for use. It must be signed by the project’s technical directors, the construction company Limak, the club itself, and also validated by the professional associations of architects and engineers. Until all signatures are collected and deficiencies flagged by Fire Services and the Urban Guard are corrected, the process remains stalled.
Deadlines at the Limit
Barça remains confident everything can be resolved in time but admits the deadlines are extremely tight. Once the CFO is signed, the club must submit the documentation to the City Council and wait for the technical report from Dekra, the entity authorized by the municipality, as well as a new inspection by the Collaborating Entities of the Administration (ECA) to confirm there are no outstanding issues.
On top of that, additional requirements such as light and noise pollution controls must be met, with tests already being carried out at Camp Nou in recent days.
The Backup Plan
If Barça fails to meet the deadlines, the alternative would be to play at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, a venue with only 6,000 seats. LaLiga has exceptionally approved this option, provided the necessary audiovisual and VAR infrastructure is in place. If that doesn’t work, the club would temporarily return to the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, which it can use until 2026.
For now, the administrative machinery at Camp Nou keeps moving. The homecoming is near, but the signature of a single document is all that stands between Barcelona and their long-awaited return.
