Barcelona pause first-team residence project to prioritise new gym at Hans Flick’s request

Barcelona have put plans for a new first-team players’ residence on hold so the club can prioritise building a new gym at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

The decision was taken under president Joan Laporta after Hans Flick requested that the expansion of the first team’s physical training facilities be treated as the club’s immediate priority.

According to the Barca Reservat podcast, reported by Sport, Barcelona have temporarily suspended plans for a team hotel next to the Tito Vilanova stadium. The project had already been approved by the club, but construction work has been paused while resources are directed towards the new gym.

The accommodation was originally designed as an exclusive space for first-team players. It would have allowed the squad to stay together before matches, including selected home fixtures, while also providing facilities for rest after matches and training sessions.

Since taking charge, Flick has reintroduced the practice of bringing the squad together before certain games, including matches played at Barcelona’s home ground. That approach increased the potential use of the planned residence, but the project will not now proceed immediately.

The investment required for the accommodation complex is estimated at between 12m euros and 14m euros, according to reports from Barca Reservat. That figure is significantly higher than the original budget of 6m euros.

Barcelona’s decision does not represent a permanent cancellation. Instead, the residence project has been postponed until a later date, with the club focusing first on the facility requested by Flick.

The new gym is being built directly beside the Camp Tito Vilanova. It will provide additional space for first-team physical work, after the existing gym in one of the buildings at the Ciutat Esportiva became too small for the squad’s requirements.

Barcelona have increasingly dedicated time and resources to physical conditioning, recovery programmes and individual preparation. The current facility is no longer considered large enough to support those demands effectively.

Construction of the new gym is close to completion. The building will include large glass walls, giving those inside a clear view of the training pitch.

The facility is intended to allow the squad to combine work on the field with specific exercises designed to improve strength, flexibility and speed. It will also include space for physical recovery programmes.

For now, the gym has taken precedence over the planned players’ residence, with the club responding to Flick’s request to improve the first team’s training and recovery infrastructure.