Barcelona are finally set to return to the Spotify Nou Camp, more than a year after renovations were initially expected to be completed.
The project to increase the stadium’s capacity from 99,000 to 105,000 was expected to be finished by the end of 2024, but has been subject to various delays.
As well as the boosted capacity, the stadium has also had its dressing rooms redone, and the players’ tunnel has been updated.
Two years on from the stadium’s initial closure, though, Barcelona will make their long-awaited return to the iconic stadium this weekend.
As construction is still underway, the club has been granted a special license to welcome 45,401 fans - just 43% of its new capacity - into the ground as Athletic Club visit in LaLiga on Saturday evening.
A club statement released on Monday added that the club is working closely with UEFA to obtain permission to hold a Champions League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt at the Nou Camp, too.
Barcelona assert that the ground meets the requirements to host a UEFA match, but that they are awaiting confirmation from the governing body.
A further statement from Barcelona on X read: “We’ve dreamed about the return. Now, it’s here. We’re back home. Back at Spotify Camp Nou.”
The club had received permission to play at the Nou Camp in October, but as the ground’s capacity was set at just 25,991, they remained at their temporary home, the Estadio Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Barcelona had played most of their matches there since the Nou Camp’s doors were temporarily closed two years ago. They have also held matches at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, which generally hosts the club’s women’s and academy sides and holds just 6,000 fans.
An open training session held at the Nou Camp on November 7 was attended by close to 23,000 fans, while club legend Lionel Messi also made a covert visit during the international break.
