A 54-year-old worker has died during renovations at Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium after suffering a blow, Catalan regional police said. Emergency services were called to the stadium on Friday but were unable to save his life.
Barcelona issued a statement expressing deep regret over the workplace accident during the Spotify Camp Nou renovation. “The club wishes to express its deepest condolences and extend its heartfelt support to his family, friends, and colleagues,” the club said. President Joan Laporta personally conveyed his condolences and placed himself at the family’s disposal on behalf of the entire club.
“54-year-old worker dies from blow during Nou Camp renovation; Barcelona and president Joan Laporta offer condolences.”
An investigation into the incident is under way. The worker has not been named.
The redevelopment, which began in June 2023, aims to increase the stadium’s capacity to 105,000, making it one of the largest grounds in the world. The project is expected to be completed in early 2028 and is estimated to cost around £1.1bn.
Barcelona returned to a partially finished Nou Camp in November, playing in front of a reduced capacity of 45,401 with cranes and construction work still ongoing. Since then, they have won every home game in La Liga, with the only team to secure a result at the stadium being Atlético Madrid, who beat them 2-0 in the Champions League last eight. Barcelona’s first El Clásico back at the Nou Camp in May saw them beat Real Madrid 2-0 to secure the La Liga title.
The tragedy casts a shadow over a club that has rebuilt both its stadium and its fortunes on the pitch.