Barcelona will make their long-awaited return to the Nou Camp this weekend after a year-long delay to the stadium’s £1.25billion refurbishment.
The LaLiga giants have been locked out of their iconic home since May 2023 and have played most of their matches since out of the city’s Olympic Stadium.
During that time, the club have embarked on a new and so-far successful era led by players such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Raphina under the management of Hansi Flick.
Yet for many of their stars, who last year won three trophies and came tantalisingly close to reaching the Champions League final, they have not received the adulation of the crowd at the Nou Camp.
That is all set to change, though, with Barca announcing a triumphant return to their home this Saturday for their league clash against Athletic Club.
‘We’ve dreamed about the return. Now, it’s here. We’re back home. Back at Spotify Camp Nou,’ the club said.
Barcelona are set to long-awaited return to the Nou Camp against Athletic Club on Saturday
Barca have not played at the Nou Camp since May 2023 – when construction works began
23,000 fans got a sneak peek at the new-look arena in an open-training event on November 7
While a seismic moment for the club, the match will not be a sold out affair due to works remaining ongoing at the stadium. In fact, only 45,401 fans will be allowed to attend after Barca were granted a special licence.
The project, set to increase the Camp Nou’s capacity from 99,000 to 105,000 as well as improve its dressing rooms and tunnel, has proven difficult for the club to finalise within the timeframes initially set.
But this weekend’s fixture being given the green light is seen as positive news for the Barca, who said they are also aiming to welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the Nou Camp when they face the German side in the Champions League next month.
Though the return to the stadium this weekend will only see the stadium 43 per cent full, it will almost hold the same number of people as the 55,000 seater Olympic Stadium – where they have played the majority of their home matches since 2023.
Flick’s side have also featured at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, which was erected in honour of the late Barcelona and Netherlands legend in 2017, but holds just 6,000 fans.
Talk of a return to the Nou Camp began hotting up when Barca were granted permission to host a match there in October – but with a reduced crowd of around just 25,000.
The club decided that it made more sense to remain at the Olympic Stadium until they could welcome more fans in, but did open the Nou Camp’s doors to around 23,000 spectators for an open training session earlier this month.
In the week after, the internet was ablaze with speculation that Barca legend Lionel Messi could return to the Nou Camp after the Argentinian superstar posted snaps of himself visiting the arena in the dead of night.
Hansi Flick has won three titles for Barca but is yet to coach a game for them at the Nou Camp
The stadium remains incomplete and surrounded by cranes but 45,000 fans will be welcomed
Lionel Messi visited his old stomping ground last week – sending the internet into a frenzy
‘Last night I returned to a place I miss with all my heart,’ Messi wrote on social media.
‘A place where I was immensely happy, where you all made me feel a thousand times over like the happiest person in the world.
‘I hope I can return someday and not just to say goodbye as a player, which I never got to do…’
Barca president Joan Laporta, however, was quick to dispel rumours of a possible return for LaLiga’s all-time top scorer.
