Barcelona and UEFA have confirmed that the Catalan giants will play their first Champions League home game of the season at the unloved Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, extending the long wait for a Camp Nou return.
Hansi Flick’s side host defending European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Oct. 1 and had hoped to be back at their spiritual home for such a lofty encounter. Unfortunately for those desperate to return, this is not the first setback.
When Camp Nou first underwent extensive renovations following the conclusion of the 2022–23 campaign, initial predictions suggested a homecoming could be as soon as November 2024. Evidently, that did not come to pass.
Barcelona spent the past two seasons trekking up the hill of Montjuïc to watch their side in the hollow concrete bowl of the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
As the club continued to fail to obtain the necessary permits for their Camp Nou comeback, they had to host their first La Liga home game of the current campaign at the 6,000-capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff. This weekend’s clash with Getafe will also be held at the women’s team’s normal venue.
La Liga may have allowed Barcelona to bend the rules domestically, but the tiny Cruyff venue comes nowhere near the capacity requirements of a Champions League fixture. And so, the club will be back in Montjuïc for the visit of PSG next month.
“The Club continues to work intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of Spotify Camp Nou in the near future,” a Barcelona statement read. “FC Barcelona thanks its members and fans for their understanding and support during such a complex and exciting process as the return to the new Spotify Camp Nou.”
UEFA regulations insist that a team must play all four of their home league-phase fixtures at the same venue. Reports have suggested that Barcelona are hopeful of finding some wiggle room in that ruling, with the visit of Olympiacos on Oct. 21 put forward as a potential return date. Incidentally, UEFA’s official website currently lists Camp Nou as the venue for that fixture.
Should Barcelona make it through the first round of fixtures, they would be permitted to change their home venue ahead of the knockout rounds. The playoffs start on Feb. 17, 2025 while the round of 16 gets underway on March 10.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Confirm Camp Nou Decision for Champions League Clash With PSG.
