"Make a fool of ourselves" - Former Barcelona presidential candidate calls out club as they release statement announcing Camp Nou return delay

Former Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font has criticized the Catalan club on social media after they announced another setback to their return to the Camp Nou. He slammed the club's hierarchy for giving fans unrealistic hopes about the club's return to action at the iconic stadium.

In a statement on the club's website on Friday, July 18, Barcelona announced that they have suspended initial plans to return to the Camp Nou. The LaLiga giants were scheduled to mark their return to their official home ground with the Joan Gamper Trophy (Barcelona's traditional final preseason match) on August 10.

However, as per the statement, the club have failed to obtain the required license that will sanction their return to the stadium. Due to the huge amount of work being done at the Camp Nou, it wasn't easy to meet all the requirements for a license.

Reacting to the statement on X (formerly Twitter), Victor Font called out Barcelona for repeatedly setting unrealistic deadlines for the Camp Nou renovation. He wrote:

"Incredible that, being the best club in the world, we make a fool of ourselves with constant unfulfilled promises. We already knew that the Camp Nou is a major project, which is why it was very surprising to see an advertising campaign celebrating that we would return on August 10, despite no expert in the field considering it feasible."

He continued:

"There’s no need to toy with the expectations of Barcelona fans in this way. The mildest way to assess it is that we are facing yet another case of improvisation, wishful thinking, and management incapacity. But the line between this and deception is very thin." "We will demand transparency as many times as necessary. Why have so many impossible deadlines been given? Who takes responsibility for this? Why was the contract awarded to a company that was supposed to be cheaper and faster, when it’s proving to be neither? And where will we play our League and Champions matches starting from September 14, when we’re supposed to return to playing official matches at the Camp Nou? The members deserve the truth, once and for all!," Font concluded.

Barcelona club president Joan Laporta had previously said that the Catalan outfit would not be playing any home games in LaLiga in August. He added that the side will return to the Camp Nou in September, saying (via SI):

"We will return in September. We've already spoken to La Liga so that our first home games of the season are in September. We want to return as soon as possible, the decision to do it is so that we don't lose any purchasing power, it's key so that we can have more income."

The club have confirmed that the 2025 Joan Gamper Trophy will be held at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. Hansi Flick's side will reportedly face Italian club Como FC in the pre-season friendly encounter.

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When last did Barcelona play at the Camp Nou?

Barcelona last played at the iconic Camp Nou two years ago on May 28, 2023. The Catalan club marked their 2022-23 league title win and last home match of the season with a 3-0 win over Mallorca. Academy graduate Ansu Fati scored a brace in the clash, while Gavi was the other goalscorer.

Since then, La Blaugrana has played their home matches at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. There were reports that the club would return to the Camp Nou at the start of the 2024-25 season. However, recent developments suggest that Barca fans will have to wait a little longer to return to the iconic stadium.

Notably, Barca's first three games of the 2025-26 season are all away. They are expected to play at Spotify Camp Nou for the first time against Valencia on September 14.

Edited by Aditya Singh