There is unrest in Barça's offices. When it seemed that relations with Javier Tebas could enter a period of détente, the president of LaLiga has once again made a move... against Barça.
Everything stems from a very specific request from Barça: to play the first four rounds of the championship as the away team in order to gain time to finish the work at Camp Nou. This is a logical, reasonable, and perfectly understandable request from an organizational standpoint.
But, as usual, Tebas's criteria have prevailed at LaLiga. The organization has only granted three away matches.
It is thus forcing Barça to return home in the fourth round. Even though the work on the first phase will not be completely finished.
A historic return... under pressure
The date marked in red is September 15, the day when Barça will reunite with its stadium. It will be 836 days after the last match at Camp Nou. More than two years of exile at Montjuïc.
This has been a long, uncomfortable period with multiple complications, both in sports and financially.
On that day, the opponent will be Valencia CF, in a match expected to be special for many reasons. It will not only be a return home. It will also mean the partial opening of the new Camp Nou, which will have a provisional capacity of 65,000 (60,000) spectators.
This is an important step to recover the soul of Barcelona fans and to experience magical nights again at Les Corts.
The club doesn't hide its discontent
The club has conveyed its discontent to LaLiga over the refusal to grant four away rounds. The difference of one round seemed small, but it was key to finishing structural and safety tasks.
This decision will force the construction deadlines to be accelerated, to assume additional costs, and to improvise logistical solutions that could have been avoided with a bit more empathy from Tebas's offices.
Tebas asks Laporta to save money, but at the same time forces him to assume unnecessary expenses that he himself causes.
Within the club, they believe that the treatment they receive is not the same as that of other major clubs. This is just a new chapter in a long list of grievances.
The excitement of returning home
Despite the setback, Barcelona fans are already dreaming of returning to Camp Nou. The initial capacity will be 65,000 (60,000) seats, but it is expected to grow to 93,000 (85,000) by the end of the season.
The goal: a modern, comfortable, and noisy stadium, where Barça will once again feel invincible. Even if Tebas doesn't make it easy.