Catalan pharmaceuticals company Grífols are closing in on a huge deal with Barcelona for the naming rights of their Camp Nou stadium.
There have been a number of candidates vying for the naming rights since Barça announced that they were looking for a partner to fund part of the club’s planned overhaul of the stadium, but a report from Spanish radio station RAC1 suggests that it’s Grífols that are leading the way with a deal that could potentially be closed out by the end of 2018.
The report details that the deal is expected to last for 20 years, bringing a significant income into the Barça account. Although no financial terms have been disclosed, it’s believed that over the 20 year period the revenue would cover the cost of ‘Espai Barca’, a €600 million renovation project, which will see the iconic arena’s capacity increased to 105,000, while also constructing a new basketball arena on-site for the club’s basketball team.
The news will undoubtedly be greeted by mixed reactions by Barcelona fans. While the business decision is clearly understandable, certain stadiums have too much history to expect something as dramatic as a name change to be accepted, and Camp Nou sits firmly in that bracket.
