Barcelona to return to Camp Nou on Saturday after two years

BARCELONA :Barcelona will return to competitive action at their famous Camp Nou stadium on Saturday for the first time in two-and-a-half years when they host Athletic Bilbao in a LaLiga fixture. 

It will be an emotional homecoming as the club reopens its partially renovated ground, with a temporarily reduced capacity, as part of its ambitious redevelopment project.

"The match corresponding to matchday 13 of the League, against Athletic Club, scheduled for Saturday, November 22 at 16:15, will finally be played at Spotify Camp Nou," Barcelona said in a statement on Monday. 

The capacity currently allowed is 45,401, it said, well below the 105,000 seats the venue is intended to have once the renovation is finished.

"Barcelona celebrates being able to compete again at its stadium and continue advancing in the comprehensive transformation project of the new Camp Nou," the club added.

The Catalan club last played an official match at Camp Nou on May 28, 2023, against Mallorca, before the stadium was closed for extensive renovations. 

Since then, Barcelona have been playing home fixtures at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc which has a similar capacity to the reduced Camp Nou.

The club said they are liaising with European governing body UEFA to also hold next week’s Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt at the revamped Camp Nou, though official confirmation is pending.

While the renovation means that fans will not yet witness the stadium at full capacity, the temporary arrangements still offer a heartfelt opportunity for many fans to return to their spiritual home.