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Barcelona's recently renovated Nou Camp found itself rain-soaked as a heavy downpour infiltrated the stadium which saw fans, journalists and even president Joan Laporta getting drenched.

The iconic stadium is in the midst of a £1.25billion renovation with the team moving back in November, albeit certain parts of the venue are still being refurbished. Their return to the Nou Camp was delayed by a year due to construction work, but those who were present on Sunday found themselves getting wet.

Barcelona saw off Real Oviedo but rainwater poured through certain parts of the stadium. One video has been shared on social media showed a stream of water falling through an opening onto the concourse. Rain also filled up a walkway and meant that reporters were forced to wear waterproof jackets and put up umbrellas to protect their laptops.

Spanish outlet Tribuna reported that Laporta, as well as other VIP guests, weren't protected from the elements as they were soaked despite sitting in corporate seats.

Several of the 45,000 fans in attendance are thought to have left the clash early, likely owing to the fact they were drenched by the Spanish rain as the stadium's flaws were exposed.

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Despite that Laporta is confident that they will fix any issues as he saw the bright side. He said: "We all got wet. We knew it could happen, but in the end, the rain accompanied the victory. It was like witnessing the rain's baptism at Camp Nou. The stadium is under construction, and anything that needs to be fixed on the go, we will address.

"This is normal and will be resolved. The stadium is progressing at a good pace, and everything is moving along. License 1C (to increase capacity to 62,000) was supposed to be ready at the start of January, but it has been delayed.'Now we'll see if we have it for the Mallorca match - I haven't given up yet."

The club have faced a race against time to finally finish the work as they look to recapture lost revenue. The Nou Camp's capacity will go from 99,000 to 105,000 supporters, boosting the club's matchday earnings considerably.

Barcelona had spent last two terms playing at the nearby Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, which was the site of the Olympics back in 1992, after work began at the Nou Camp in May 2023.

In recent years Real Madrid have played at the renovated the Bernabeu, giving the stadium in the capital a whole new modern look. The venue now downs a roof and has previously been recognised as the best stadium in the world by the World Football Summit (WFS).

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