Barcelona fans are eagerly awaiting the club’s return to the fabled Camp Nou, where construction work is still ongoing as part of the renovation plans.
Barcelona’s initial idea was to return to Camp Nou by the end of this year, with a starting capacity of 65,000 supporters.
However, returning to Camp Nou this year does not appear to be a possibility anymore, as construction work is taking longer than expected.
When will Barcelona return to Camp Nou?
Elena Fort, vice president of Barcelona, held a presser today detailing the club’s plans to return to Camp Nou.
Although an exact return date was not given by the management, Diario SPORT reports that there is a good reason for Barcelona to return to Camp Nou by February.
“The club is working to have the stadium ready to return at the end of December,” Fort said in the presser. But she clarified that having the stadium ready does not necessarily Barcelona can return to Camp Nou.
Keeping that in mind, the report suggests Barcelona would like to avoid operating in two stadiums, which will multiply maintenance costs and create confusion.
Perhaps more importantly, UEFA laws do not allow Barcelona to operate in two stadiums, at least during the league stage. This means they cannot switch stadiums until the club play all of their league matches.
Barcelona’s last UCL league game will be held on January 29 against Atalanta. This game will likely be played at Montjuic before Barcelona eventually return to Camp Nou.
Therefore, February 2 appears to be an ideal return date for Barça, as they are tipped to take on Deportivo Alaves at home. Their next home game will be on February 16 against Rayo Vallecano.
Of course, transitioning back to Camp Nou would involve many complications, which Barcelona must work out before they are in a position to return to their old stadium.
