Spanish football giants Barcelona have received official approval from UEFA to stage their Champions League matches at the partially reconstructed Camp Nou stadium, marking a significant milestone in the club's long-awaited homecoming.
Official UEFA Green Light
The European football governing body has given Barcelona the crucial clearance to welcome Champions League action back to their legendary stadium. This development comes just days after the Catalan club announced their return to domestic league football at the same venue.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, Barcelona confirmed that UEFA accepted the request after verifying all necessary requirements had been met. This decision ends a challenging period where Barcelona faced multiple postponements in their stadium reopening plans due to construction setbacks and safety certification issues.
Stadium Return Timeline
The long road back to Camp Nou begins with a historic domestic reopening against Athletic Bilbao on November 22, followed by the Champions League homecoming against German side Eintracht Frankfurt on December 9.
Barcelona's exile from their spiritual home has lasted more than two years since the stadium closed at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season. During this period, the club has been operating from the 55,000-seater Olympic stadium located on Montjuic hill.
Construction Challenges and Financial Impact
The stadium reconstruction project, estimated to cost 1.5 billion euros ($1.74 billion), has been plagued by construction chaos and multiple delays. The current reopening comes a full year behind the original schedule.
The delays have proven financially damaging for the club, which relies heavily on stadium-generated revenue to regain financial stability. The situation became particularly embarrassing earlier this season when Barcelona were forced to play two matches at their 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff training ground stadium after failing to secure necessary safety permits for Camp Nou.
Initial capacity at the reopened stadium will be 45,401 spectators, significantly reduced from the eventual planned capacity of 105,000 when the top tier construction is completed. As part of the reopening process, Barcelona successfully tested the facilities with 23,000 fans attending a training session earlier in November.
The original Camp Nou structure dates back to 1957 and previously accommodated 99,000 spectators. The comprehensive transformation project includes plans to add a roof, scheduled for installation in summer 2027, representing another year's delay in the overall project completion timeline.
