FC Barcelona has completed construction of a full-size replica of the Spotify Camp Nou in the heart of Vallecas, complete with functioning floodlights, a pitch sown with the same hybrid grass, and a working public address system that plays the club anthem on a loop. The club says the structure will allow Rayo Vallecano to practice losing in a familiar environment before the real match.
«We felt it was unfair to make them travel all the way to Barcelona just to lose,» said club spokesman Jordi Pujol during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a delegation of confused Rayo players. «Now they can experience the full Camp Nou atmosphere, including the smell of the hot dogs and the sound of 90,000 people cheering for us, without leaving their own neighborhood.»
The replica, built in just six days by a crew of 300 workers, includes a detailed copy of the away dressing room, complete with the same brand of soap and the same motivational posters. Rayo Vallecano's coaching staff has already moved their training sessions to the new facility, holding a full practice match on Tuesday in which the team lost 0-5 to a group of local youth players who were paid to wear Barcelona jerseys.
«The acoustics are incredible,» said Rayo midfielder Unai López, standing in the empty replica stadium. «We could hear the imaginary crowd booing us from the first minute. It really prepares you for the real thing.» The club has announced plans to expand the replica to include a full-size copy of the Barcelona bench, so that Hansi Flick's substitutes can also practice their warm-up routines in Vallecas.