Barcelona mayor issues update on Spotify Camp Nou reopening – ‘We’ll have good news soon’ | OneFootball

The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, spoke on the programme El Mon a RAC1 (h/t Mundo Deportivo) about the state of relations between FC Barcelona and the City Council regarding the first occupancy licence the club needs to partially reopen the Spotify Camp Nou.

The Catalan giants were hopeful of receiving the licence earlier this week, so that the game against Real Sociedad on Sunday could take place there.

However, the city council identified deficiencies in access, signage, and evacuation routes, which prevented authorisation for a partial reopening of the stadium.

Mayor Collboni issues update

Providing an update on the situation at the Spotify Camp Nou, Mayor Collboni confirmed that the council is in constant touch with Barça president Joan Laporta.

“Our relationship with the board is fluid and frank. I want to say that Barcelona and the City Council have the utmost interest in the construction going well because the stadium will be important for the city,” he said.

“But the priority is to guarantee safety, and when the City Police and Fire Department don’t give us the green light or validate safety, the license cannot be granted.”

The mayor called for respect for the independence of the municipal staff involved, saying: “We must respect the work of our civil servants, who must work independently and rigorously, without pressure.”

When will Barcelona return to Camp Nou? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Continuing, he insisted: “The City Council is interested in ensuring that the club’s construction progresses well, as quickly as possible, but with all the necessary safeguards, especially in terms of safety.

“We want residents to be able to enjoy the neighbourhood, and we want the work completed, but properly. My obligation is to protect the citizens and ensure safety.”

When asked for a potential timeline for the reopening, Collboni declined to give dates but noted: “I think we’re on the right schedule.”

He avoided going into detail on the technical issues that are delaying the reopening of the stadium, but said: “A lot of progress has been made and we’ll have good news soon.”

The mayor rejected any suggestion that the City Council has an interest in Barça continuing to use Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic for economic or other reasons.

“Estadi Olimpic is for concerts,” he stated. “And we’ve blocked a stadium without being able to host concerts or cultural activities because we want to help Barça.”

Continuing, Collboni noted: “Esadi Olimpic has worked very well thanks to the club and BSM (the municipal company in charge of its management).

“The City Council is interested in freeing up the Lluis Companys Stadium because it’s a cultural space, and we’re interested in moving the construction forward and freeing up that space.”