Barca raised 1.6 billion USD
About 20 investors participated in sponsoring $ 1.66 billion for Barca. The list includes Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, JLL, Perez-Llorca, DLA Piper, Key Capital Partners and Legends & IPG 360.
Barca will pay the debt with the revenue generated by the Camp Nou in the future. "The amount will be paid in different installments over 5, 7, 9, 20 and 24 years, with a flexible structure, including a grace period," Barca announced on April 24.
Barca set the deadline to complete the initial sponsorship as March 31. But raising global interest rates has hampered the final phase of the negotiations. La Liga organizers have warned that Barca must not use club assets as collateral and mortgage for the project.
The renovation of the Camp Nou stadium began during the 2022 World Cup break. The club dismantled the upper floor, which has a capacity of about 5,000 seats. Work will accelerate when the 2022-2023 season ends.
In the 2023-2024 season and the first half of the 2024-2025 season, Barca will play in another Catalan stadium, Montjuic Stadium with 55,000 seats. The La Liga leaders hope to return to the Camp Nou in November 2024, to coincide with the club's 125th anniversary, although renovations will last until 2026.
According to Barca, the renovation project will turn Camp Nou into a "pioneering technology" field. The roof of the courtyard can be retracted and is covered by 30,000 square meters of solar cells. The resulting energy will power screens, interior equipment and security systems. To improve the sustainability of the pitch, rainwater will be collected and recycled. The stadium capacity will be increased from 99,000 to 105,000 seats.
The off-court campus will include a new office complex, green space, hotel, event space, skating rink and basketball court. Camp Nou has been open since 1957 and remains the largest stadium in Europe.
