Barca postpone return to Camp Nou

FC Barcelona have asked the company BSM (Barcelona de Serveis Municipals), which depends on Barcelona City Council, to extend their contract until 30th April 2025 so that the FC Barcelona first team can play their matches at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

As reported on Monday by ‘Mundo Deportivo’ and confirmed to 'EFE' by sources at the Catalan club, the club will meet in the next few days with the municipal company that manages the stadium to discuss the request to extend the right to use the stadium for another month while waiting for the club to get the green light to return to the Spotify Camp Nou.

The current contract with BSM allows Hansi Flick's side to play their home games until 31st March at the stadium on Montjuic mountain.

If the extension of the contract until the end of April is confirmed, Barcelona would gain time while waiting to return to the Les Corts neighbourhood with some 60,000 seats available, which, as the institutional vice-president, Maria Elena Fort, recently assured, she hopes will be before the end of the current season.

Sources from the ‘Cule’ institution have insisted that the club is working on returning to the Spotify Camp Nou "as soon as possible" and that "in the coming weeks more details will be given in relation to the planning" to return to play matches at the home ground.

Barcelona are scheduled to play nine La Liga home games between January and April, plus Wednesday's Copa del Rey last-16 tie against Betis - which could be more if they progress from the knockout stages - and the final Champions League group stage game against Atalanta (29th January), to which must be added at least one game in the knockout stages of Europe's top competition.

In fact, should the Catalan giants return to the Camp Nou in May, they will do so in time to host Real Madrid in what would by now be the last ‘Clasico’ of the season, having already put nine goals past Los Merengues between a 4-0 win in La Liga and a 5-2 thrashing in the Spanish Super Cup final.