The Camp Nou, Barcelona's home stadium — the largest in Europe — which underwent a massive renovation costing 1.25 billion pounds (about 2.4745 trillion won), has been embroiled in allegations of shoddy construction.
Barcelona won the 2025-2026 La Liga round 21 home match against Real Oviedo 3-0 on the 26th (Korea time) at Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain.
But what became the real topic was the "flood" inside the home stadium Spotify Camp Nou. Although Camp Nou began remodeling in May 2023 and chose an early return last November, unfinished parts of the stadium were soaked by rain, fueling controversy over "shoddy construction."
Footage of Camp Nou released by the British Mirror and social media is shocking. Rainwater poured from the ceiling of the stadium's interior corridors like a waterfall. Walkways became channels because rainwater could not drain.
The press boxes prepared for reporters covering the match were no exception. Reporters created a spectacle as they wrote articles wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas to protect their laptops from the pouring rain.
Of the roughly 45,000 spectators who attended the match that day, many left during the game because they could not find shelter from the rain. Even chairman Joan Laporta (64) and guests seated in the VIP area watched the game soaked by rain.
Still, Chairman Laporta showed composure in a postgame interview, saying, "We all got wet. We knew something like this could happen, but in the end the rain came with the victory."
He added, "It was as if we witnessed a baptism of rain at Camp Nou," and stressed, "The stadium is under construction, and any parts that need adjustment during the process will be addressed immediately."
He said, "This is a normal process and a problem that will be resolved. The stadium is progressing at a good pace," and explained, "The 1C license to increase capacity to 62,000 should have been ready in early January but was delayed."
He added, "We'll see if it can be resolved before the upcoming Mallorca match. We have not given up yet." The home match against Mallorca is on Feb. 8.
Upon completion of the renovation, Camp Nou's capacity is expected to increase from the current 99,000 to 105,000. Camp Nou's capacity far exceeds that of England's Wembley Stadium, which holds 90,000.
Barcelona hurried the return by shortening the construction period to maximize matchday revenue. But the plan to become "Europe's greatest shrine," accommodating 105,000 after completion, is likely to be tarnished for the time being by this heavy rain incident, which has made it hard to avoid the stigma of a "leaky stadium."
In particular, it contrasted sharply with rival Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu, which is regarded as one of the world's best stadiums with its modern roof, leaving Barcelona fans' pride wounded.
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