Reports from Spain claim a massive fight broke out between Camp Nou workers on Friday afternoon. Journalist <a href="https://x.com/punsix/status/1844737029742944713" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anna Punsi</a> reported that the brawl involved around 20 employees currently renovating Barcelona’s stadium. The workers allegedly attacked each other with sticks. As a result, at least six of those involved suffered minor injuries.



<a href="https://as.com/actualidad/sociedad/pelea-a-golpes-en-las-obras-del-camp-nou-n/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AS</a> then picked up the story and claimed that Catalan police, called Mossos d’Esquadra, had to intervene. According to the Spanish news outlet, the fight was between groups of Albanian and Romanian workers. Construction managers at the scene eventually dismissed those responsible for the brawl. 



Friday’s issue is not the first time that Camp Nou workers have fought at the arena. Back in May, several construction employees also scuffled just outside of the stadium’s main gate. Some of those in the brawl at the time had to go to the hospital to receive treatment.



The ongoing construction of Camp Nou is currently being led by Limak, a private Turkish conglomerate. The company focuses on cement and energy but tourism as well. Along with handling construction at the famed stadium, Limak is also reportedly in charge of security while renovations continue.



<h2>Barca recently gave a positive update on stadium plans</h2>



News of the latest brawl at the stadium comes just days after the club gave updates on the makeover. 



Elena Fort, the institutional vice president of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a>, told reporters on Monday that the club expects to return to the arena before the end of the year.



Nevertheless, renovations will continue for the next few years and will not be complete until 2026. As a result, the fan capacity at Camp Nou will have a limit of 66% until the construction is finally done.



“We are working to return at the end of the year, from here there are many factors,” <a href="https://www.football-espana.net/2024/10/08/barcelona-provide-update-on-spotify-camp-nou-return-as-e100m-economic-loss-is-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stated</a> Fort. “The exact day has to be modulated. In the summer of 2026, the project should be finished – that is our forecast.”



<h2>The Catalan club has lost major money by not playing at the arena</h2>



While Camp Nou is being rebuilt, the club play home matches at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The nearly 100-year-old arena was previously known as Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic. Fort claims that the temporary move across town has cost the club serious money.



“The move to Montjuic has meant losing €100 million,” continued the exec. “We need income and we have to find a balance between the affordable prices for the members who access the passes and the way to operate the new stadium.”



Barca has been playing all of their home fixtures at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys since the start of the 2023/24 campaign. While the Catalan club collected the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/la-liga-tv-schedule/">LaLiga</a> title the year prior at Camp Nou, they finished second behind rivals <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/real-madrid-tv-schedule/">Real Madrid</a> last season. Barca’s first three league losses of the 2023/24 campaign came in their temporary home.



Hansi Flick has overseen a fantastic start to the current campaign. In fact, Barcelona top the Spanish top-flight table at the moment. Team officials are hoping that the club can return to Camp Nou on December 15th, when they host Leganés.



Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire.

Clash in Barcelona: Six injured in Camp Nou brawl

A huge brawl broke out between Camp Nou workers on Friday. The historic stadium is currently being renovated

Clash in Barcelona: Six injured in Camp Nou brawl - World Soccer Talk

Barcelona has denied allegations of labor exploitation at the Camp Nou stadium. The club recently came under fire due to an ongoing investigation into the matter by Spanish news outlet <a href="https://www.elperiodico.com/es/deportes/20231120/camp-nou-obras-trabajadores-explotacion-laboral-fcbarcelona-94721283" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">El Periodico</a>. The newspaper published a story, with witness accounts, regarding the apparent issues on Monday.



However, the Catalan club has since emphatically denied the human rights violations. Turkish construction company Limak is in charge of the renovations. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barca</a> vice president Elena Fort told the aforementioned news source that the company is not exploiting their workers.



“No, there are categorically no workers suffering from labour abuses,” <a href="https://amp.elperiodico.com/es/deportes/20231121/elena-fort-responsable-espai-barca-94923025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proclaimed</a> Fort. “If we had received any complaints, we would have acted. No complaint has been made to the club. Nor has there been anything detected within our internal processes to suggest there is any type of irregularity.”



“Barca comply, well, the [contracted] construction companies strictly comply with the regulations. And there is no labor exploitation of any kind.”



<h2>Multiple workers say they are making less than minimum wage</h2>



El Periodico reported that Camp Nou workers were pulling 10-hour days from Monday to Saturday to complete the renovations. They also claim that many of these employees are earning just over $1,085 per month for their services. This would reportedly be less than the construction minimum wage in the country.



“It’s very hard,” <a href="https://www.elperiodico.com/es/deportes/20231120/camp-nou-obras-trabajadores-explotacion-laboral-fcbarcelona-94721283" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">explained</a> a worker on the project named Mohamed. “You work whether it’s hot or raining. When you get home your feet shake… you end up destroyed.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231122_WST_472087_Camp-Nou-construction-1200x675.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-472231" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Camp-Nou-construction-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Camp-Nou-construction-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Camp-Nou-construction-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Camp-Nou-construction.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Construction on Camp Nou will last years as Barcelona completely revamps the entire stadium.</figcaption></figure>



“I am very afraid of falling, of hurting myself and not being able to work,” stated Mamadou, another employee tasked with dismantling pieces of metal from high areas. “It is very difficult, very hard.”



Also, Mamadou claims he took the job after officials told him he would make $8.70 per hour. This fee is just barely above the current minimum wage in place for construction workers in Spain. However, according to the news outlet, Mamadou is actually earning about $7 an hour.



Limak has also denied any wrongdoing in any alleged misconduct as well. The company claimed that they do not “tolerate any case of irregularity with workers.” They also stated that no complaints by workers have been brought to their attention.



<h2>Barcelona official denies pay disparity from labor workers at Camp Nou</h2>



Nevertheless, Fort has admitted that three “minor issues” have been discovered in the Camp Nou renovations. The Barca exec, however, asserts that the problems had to do with fence heights and other small problems.



Fort also denied claims that Barcelona paid workers less than minimum wage in the project. “There are five pay slips [in El Periodico‘s investigation] when there are more than 2,000 during the entire execution of the work,” continued Fort. “And one thing is that there could be an error in those pay slips. We are reviewing that. But all contracts go through social security.”



“Not a single contract that has been made is below the agreed terms. In the construction contracts, by agreement, work is done six days a week, maximum 12 hours [per day].”



Initial work on the stadium began about a year ago during the 2022 World Cup. However, current renovations began to ramp up earlier this summer. Many of the workers in the project are foreign laborers. This includes temporary employees from Morocco, Pakistan, Bolivia, and Senegal. Renovations will cost Barca around $1 billion. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/la-liga-tv-schedule/">LaLiga</a> club cannot move back into the arena until at least 2025.



PHOTOS: IMAGO

Barcelona denies accusations of labor abuse in Camp Nou project

Barcelona has officially rejected claims that workers currently renovating Camp Nou stadium are being paid less than minimum wage.

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Barcelona denies accusations of labor abuse in Camp Nou project