Protest in Nou Barris over Can Dragó tracks: athletes denounce loss of space and halted activity

The adaptation of the site for football has drastically reduced the space available for athletics. Coaches, families and users report that training has become unsafe and that competitive activity has been virtually paralysed, with a particular impact on grassroots groups and young people with functional diversity.

The mobilisation will take place on Thursday 7 May at 17:55, just before training begins, to ensure visibility and participation. The meeting point will be the main entrance to the track, under the slogan “Recuperem Can Dragó per l’atletisme”, in a call to the entire sports community of the district.

The club is calling for urgent action: refurbishing the gym and changing rooms, recovering jumping and throwing areas, and improving the stands. It also calls for a stable maintenance plan and a solution that guarantees real coexistence between disciplines without compromising safety or the track’s everyday use.

The situation has sparked debate over the use of sports facilities in the city. In neighbourhoods such as Nou Barris, where grassroots sport fulfils a key social function, the loss of spaces affects not only training but also neighbourhood cohesion and equal access to physical activity.

UPD: The protest has already taken place and the conflict has entered a new phase. After pressure from Club d’Atletisme Nou Barris and the affected families, the debate has also reached the Ayuntamiento, where the need to return Can Dragó to athletics once CE Europa can return to Nou Sardenya has been raised. The commitment still needs to be made concrete through a timetable and actions, but the club maintains its demands: to restore full use of the track, refurbish the affected spaces and ensure that the facility functions normally again for athletes, the sports school and neighbourhood users.