Guti Doesn't Hold Back, Brutal Jab at Barça for Camp Nou's Condition: 'it's a Stadium...'

Real Madrid has completed one of the boldest projects in all of European soccer's elite: the renovation of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The transformation that the building located on Concha Espina Avenue has undergone has turned it into a multi-purpose space that still has its infinite potential to be developed. It has also set a trend for other teams aspiring to constantly compete with the entity presided over by Florentino Pérez.

One of those clubs is FC Barcelona. The board of directors led by Joan Laporta, shortly after taking office, made it clear that the definitive recovery of the club's ailing economy depended on a renovation. Specifically, a large-scale modification of the grounds that the Catalan team has in Les Corts, including the Spotify Camp Nou.

In addition to launching the Espai Barça project, to refurbish the basketball team's Palau and its surrounding areas, the Barça executives accepted the shape of the Spotify Camp Nou. The iconic appearance of the Barcelona stronghold quickly disappeared, revealing poor conditions caused by a lack of maintenance in recent years. The works, at the same time, haven't progressed at the expected speed in the FC Barcelona leadership.

The current state of the Barça team's 'home' was one of the topics of debate on 'El Chiringuito de Jugones'. Josep Pedrerol asked Guti "when you see Camp Nou, what do you see?". The former Real Madrid player's response couldn't be more blunt: "a stadium in ruins".

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The panelist defends himself, pointing out that that is the state of the Spotify Camp Nou "right now", while also asking if "is it in ruins right now or not?". Some panelists closer to FC Barcelona, like Carme Barceló, clarified: "it's under construction, which is not the same as ruins". Guti also had a way to respond to that remark: "I see it in ruins and you see it under construction".

This striking exchange, as well as Guti's opinion about the current state of the Spotify Camp Nou, extends the debate about the renovations the Barça stadium is undergoing. Because the project has undergone striking modifications since it began, aiming to compete directly with the new Santiago Bernabéu.

As is the case with the Madrid stadium, the executives led by Joan Laporta wanted to install a 360° scoreboard and a retractable roof that, ultimately, can't be added due to budgetary issues. Instead, a semi-open roof will be installed, and to replace the 360° scoreboard, three giant screens that have already caused the first visibility problems in some sections of the stadium.

In any case, the renovations of FC Barcelona's stadium continue to spark many rumors and comments like the one made by Guti. The plans for the Barça team to return in May haven't been fulfilled and everything points to the next season, the 24/25 season, when they might be able to do so.