FC Barcelona's Camp Nou return still up in the air with one month to go

FC Barcelona's return to its home stadium, Spotify Camp Nou, is still up in the air with just one month to go, as the city council "cannot decide" on the return as the construction works are still ongoing.

Barça is expecting to return to its home field on August 10, as was announced in late June, to compete in the Joan Gamper trophy, although tickets are not yet on sale, and the team's opponent is not yet known. Some media reports say that it will be the Italian team, Como 1907, with former Barça player Cesc Fàbregas as head coach.

However, with one month to go, Barcelona's deputy mayor Laia Bonet said that the council "cannot decide" nor vote on granting the first licence required by FC Barcelona to start filling up the stadium with spectators, as works are still ongoing.

The council approved modifying the construction works licence, which is a first step for the return, but still not enough. For Barça to be able to return to the Spotify Camp Nou, the team needs the licence, but the council cannot start to decide on granting it until the works are concluded.

"I believe the team is working towards the goal of completing the works on time, but what is obvious is that the works are still ongoing, and therefore, we cannot vote on granting the operating licence," Bonet said.

The operating licence is divided into two phases. The first one involves the first and second tier with a capacity for 62,000 people, and the second phase would allow 105,000 spectators at the Camp Nou.

"We have worked on everything that we were required to do, which was a first step, a required step, but not enough," Bonet added.