Barcelona could rename Nou Camp the Johan Cruyff Stadium

Posted Tuesday, March 29, 2016 by givemesport.com

Barcelona's board of directors will meet on Tuesday to discuss initiatives to honour the late Johan Cruyff, who last week died after a battle with cancer.

The Dutch legend died on Thursday aged 68, leaving behind a legacy as one of the game's greatest icons. He lit up the Nou Camp as a player before reinventing the club as a manager.

Keen to pay tribute in a manner that matches what he did for Barcelona, the board of directors are ready to discuss a number of proposals, including one to change the name of the Nou Camp to the Johan Cruyff Stadium.

The proposal was put forward by Sport, who ran a survey amongst Barcelona fans earlier this week. 60 percent of fans (8,000 participants) backed changing the stadium name, outscoring other proposals such as erecting a statue outside the ground and retiring his famous No.14 shirt.

One proposal, which would surely cause outrage if selected, is simply to put his name above the No.14 entrance door at the Nou Camp.

Cruyff's son, Jordi, is being consulted on the proposals and will have a say on the final decision. President Josep Maria Bartomeu and his fellow board members are aware that the final tribute must pay homage to the influence Cruyff had on the club.

NAMING RIGHTS

Naming the stadium after Cruyff would be a sensational token of gratitude from the Barcelona hierarchy, especially as it will prevent them from selling the naming rights to Camp Nou.

With bills to pay, the naming rights were believed to be one of the things up for grabs amongst sponsors, but committing to naming the stadium after the club legend will nip that in the bud for the foreseeable future and quite possibly forever.