Barcelona have revealed they will play their next La Liga match against Girona at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys as they await the partial re-opening of Camp Nou.
Renovations began at Camp Nou back in June 2023, with Barcelona having been forced to play away from their iconic home for the last two seasons. It was expected that construction would at least be sufficiently finished to re-open at reduced capacity for the beginning of the 2025–26 campaign, but significant delays mean the Catalan giants are yet to make their stadium comeback.
Barça were slated to make their return for the Joan Gamper Trophy invitational match against Como in August, forced instead to stage the annual fixture at the comparitively tiny Estadi Johan Cruyff—the venue used by the club’s women’s and B teams.
They have played several matches at the 6,000-seater arena this season but have also used the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys for home matches, a venue that has been regularly utilized while Camp Nou has been unplayable.
Barcelona have confirmed that the upcoming match with Girona on Oct. 18 will be played at the stadium in the Montjuïc neighborhood, with the club still awaiting permission to re-open Camp Nou.
A club statement read: “FC Barcelona announces that the LaLiga Matchday 9 match against Girona FC, which will be played on Saturday, October 18 at 4:15 p.m., will be played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
“The Club continues to work to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of Spotify Camp Nou and is in constant contact with Barcelona City Council to conduct the relevant inspections in the coming days.
“In this context, although the first occupancy license for Phase 1A (Stands and Goal) is expected to be received soon—which would allow for an occupancy of up to 27,000 spectators—FC Barcelona will work towards returning to Spotify Camp Nou once it has obtained the license corresponding to Phase 1B (Stands, Goal and Side), which will increase the capacity to 45,000 spectators.”
La Blaugrana had hoped to play their first home league match of the season—a 6–0 win over Valencia on Sept. 14—at Camp Nou, but with so many setbacks, their official return date remains uncertain. There have been suggestions that they will wait until November to welcome supporters back.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Confirm Venue for Girona Clash Amid Ongoing Camp Nou Delays.
