The renovated Camp Nou is still not ready to be reopened

Barcelona (AFP) - Barcelona’s return to the Camp Nou has been delayed again after the Spanish champions said on Thursday the stadium would not be ready to host the club’s next Champions League match against Olympiakos.

The Catalan giants had been hoping to gain a permit from the city council in time for the third game of their European campaign on October 21, but instead that match will be played at the Olympic stadium.

Barca were beaten 2-1 by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday at the same ground.

“The club is continuing to work to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of the Camp Nou in the coming days,” Barca said.

More than two years since the start of renovation works, the famous stadium is still not ready to host matches, even with a reduced capacity.

The final capacity of the Camp Nou is expected to be 105,000.

The grand opening was originally slated for November 2024 but works have been hit by several delays.

The city’s fire department said there are still problems with evacuation routes, among other safety issues.

Hansi Flick’s side played away for the first three weeks of the La Liga season to provide time to get the stadium ready to be reopened.

They then hosted Valencia and Getafe at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff stadium beside their training ground.

Barcelona are estimated to be paying 1.5 billion euros ($1.75 billion) for the Camp Nou rebuild.