First team visits Espai Barça Exhibition to learn about the future Camp Nou

Next Sunday 19 December, the Barça members must decide whether to approve the financing operation to make the Espai Barça a reality, a fundamental project for the club's future and its economic and sporting viability. The first team players will be the main attraction at the future Camp Nou if the referendum result supports the majority vote at the Assembly on October 23. This was made clear by President Joan Laporta when the squad visited the Espai Barça Exhibition, installed in a 400 m2 marquee on the Camp Nou forecourt. "Without the artists, who are you, all this is nothing," the president told them.

Following Sergio Agüero's announcement of his retirement, coach Xavi Hernández and the players then went to visit the exhibition, where they were welcomed by president Joan Laporta, vice-presidents Rafael Yuste and Elena Fort, as well as by the corporate director Maribel Meléndez and the director of Real Estate and Espai Barça, Ramon Ramírez, who told them all about the project and what it represents for the future of the club.

The Barça squad learned about the main lines of the project and especially the new features of the stadium and other facilities that will make up the new and modern Espai Barça. They learned all the details of the improvements that have been made to the project, and also how the 1,500 million euro operation will be funded, and how that investment will be used to restructure the Camp Nou and turn it into one of the best stadiums in the world. The project also foresees the construction of a new Palau Blaugrana, with a small annexed pavilion and a new Ice Rink, as well as a bus park, and the opening up of the entire Barça Campus to make the ground the best sports and entertainment venue in a European city.

"If we all vote yes, we’ll all win"

After watching the videos shown in the exhibition with the players, Joan Laporta also issued a message highlighting the role that players have in keeping the team competitive and bringing new hope to the Barça members and fans. The president spoke openly in favour of the need to vote "Yes" in the referendum on Sunday. "If we all vote 'Yes', we will all win" he insisted.

This visit follows on from others made by the different teams and groups at the club. The players from the basketball, futsal and handball teams have already visited the exhibition, as well as Barça B and youngsters from La Masía and Barça Escola. This Thursday it will be the turn of the women's football and U19 football teams.