Games at the Stadio Olimpico will result in defeats.

It has been an intense summer for the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. Coldplay sold tickets to four shows at the 96-year-old arena. More than 200,000 tickets were sold on the first day alone. 53,000 people came to hear Beyonce’s concert. And now it’s time for Barcelona to star in this stadium, a temporary transfer that few are happy with.

Xavi expressed concern about this need last season, saying that his team will need fans more than ever, and a move from Camp Nou will lead to the loss of home feeling, which is extremely important. But even season ticket holders weren’t so willing to follow the team from the Camp Nou to the Olimpico.

Barcelona had 80,274 season ticket holders last season. They were given the option to delay their renewal by one year until the Camp Nou refurbishment was completed. And many people took advantage of this opportunity, because only 17,552 Olympic season tickets were purchased out of 27,000. For comparison, Espanyol, who flew out of La Liga last season, sold more than 21,000 season tickets.

So the temporary transfer of Barcelona will have not only sporting, but also financial consequences. Profits from ticketing and related events and match day sales will decrease significantly. In principle, this was expected, since the capacity of the Olympic Stadium is already about half that of the Camp Nou. But the decline will be more significant than a simple scaling would suggest.

The rich history of the Montjuic stadium

Demolition work on parts of the Camp Nou started last year. At the end of the season, Barcelona said goodbye to the arena they had called home since 1957 to speed up the renovation process. When it’s all over, the stadium will be ultra-modern, the capacity will exceed 100,000 spectators and their comfort level will significantly increase. But Barcelona will be able to return to the Camp Nou around November 2024. And then part of the work will still continue, so the capacity will be temporarily limited to 70,000 spectators.

The Montjuic Olympic Stadium has always been an obvious temporary venue. It is part of Barcelona’s rich history. It was built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exhibition. It was also included in the unsuccessful bid to host the 1936 Olympics, and in 1992 it still happened to host the Olympics, before which it was modernized.

It has also hosted several Copa del Rey finals. The last one dates back to 2004. Some of Barcelona’s historical moments are associated with this arena. Catalan legend Lionel Messi made the first of his 778 appearances for the club in 2004 against Espanyol in this arena, as the Parrots used it from 1997 to 2009. Ronaldo made his debut for Barcelona here after being transferred from PSV in 1996. The Brazilian scored a brace in the match of the Spanish Super Cup against Atlético Madrid (5:2). At the Camp Nou the pitch was then re-surfaced. A week later, Ronaldo scored another brace in the Cup Winners’ Cup match against AEK.

Undoubtedly, now the Stadio Olimpico looks terribly outdated. But it also has some interesting features. For example, a white tower behind the main stand, as well as an abundance of greenery in the area where it is located. It is surrounded by parks that offer panoramic views of the Catalan capital. Olympic history is everywhere, like the view of the outdoor swimming pool, which has been preserved for public use.

The moving problem

Still, not many people like the team’s temporary relocation either. This is not the Camp Nou, neither in size, nor in status, nor in location. What makes Montjuïc picturesque also makes it inaccessible to Barcelona’s main bullring. Many have speculated that for this reason the club has decided to delay season ticket renewals. Not everyone is logistically satisfied with the Stadio Olimpico.

Barcelona had to spend €3.3m to provide more or less affordable additional transport to the stadium on match days. A further €2.5m has also been invested to offset the harmful impact this could have on the parks and green areas surrounding the stadium.

From the hub of ordinary urban transport closest to the Olympic Stadium, it takes about 20 minutes on foot. Alternatively, Barcelona will offer shuttle buses that can carry up to 4,400 people per hour. Before the match, this is still a normal figure, but it is unlikely to fit after matches, when everyone leaves the stadium at the same time.

When Barcelona played their last match against Tottenham at the Stadio Olimpico, 35,224 people attended. Many took advantage of the walk to the arena. But people are unlikely to prefer it in rainy or winter weather.

Barcelona’s additional expenses include paying the rent, which will be between 15 and 20 million euros. However, the vice president of the Catalan club, Elena Fort, said that the estimate of the financial losses resulting from a temporary stay at Montjuic was adequate. Barcelona were originally thought to lose €93m, now losses are estimated at €55m. In the difficult financial conditions of the club, such numbers are not encouraging, but in the long run, of course, Barcelona will only benefit from the renovation of the Camp Nou. Revenue from the refurbished arena will reach €247 million a year, according to the club.

At the same time, none of the predictions, of course, does not take into account the sporting effect of movement, which is very difficult to feel, count, “touch”. Xavi’s team only lost one league match at Camp Nou last season: Real Sociedad (1:2). And this happened a week after the registration of the championship.

The very walls of the Camp Nou, with its phenomenal fans, helped Barcelona win by instilling fear and insecurity in their rivals. The Stadio Olimpico has no such magic. And it’s difficult to say which points the Catalans will lack in the season that has just begun because of this trip.