Barcelona's newly renovated Nou Camp was hit by flooding on Sunday as heavy rain poured through openings in the stadium, drenching fans, journalists and even club president Joan Laporta. The waterproofing issues occurred despite the venue undergoing a £1.25 billion renovation, with work still ongoing in parts of the ground.
The match against Real Oviedo saw streams of water falling through an opening onto the concourse, while walkways filled with rainwater. Reporters were forced to use umbrellas and waterproof jackets to protect their laptops. Several of the 45,000 fans are thought to have left early after being soaked by the Spanish rain.
Laporta acknowledged the problem but remained optimistic. 'We all got wet. We knew it could happen, but in the end, the rain accompanied the victory. It was like witnessing the rain's baptism at Camp Nou,' he said. 'The stadium is under construction, and anything that needs to be fixed on the go, we will address. This is normal and will be resolved.'
The club plans to increase the Nou Camp's capacity from 99,000 to 105,000, boosting matchday revenue. However, delays have affected the project, with the license to expand to 62,000 seats now expected later than January. Barcelona spent the last two seasons at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys while the work began in May 2023.
Real Madrid, by contrast, recently completed a modern renovation of the Bernabéu, which features a new roof and has been named the world's best stadium by the World Football Summit.
