Barcelona are gearing up for arguably their most important game of the season as they play hosts to Napoli later this evening.
Although the 50,000+ seater Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys is not a bad alternative to have, Barcelona would have definitely liked to host the Italian champions at Camp Nou, which is currently under construction.
Barcelona unlikely to return to Camp Nou by November 2024
Barcelona’s initial plan was to return to Camp Nou by November 2024, which coincided with the club’s 125th anniversary on November 29, 2024.
However, as reported by SPORT, it appears Barcelona are unlikely to return to Camp Nou by November 2024.
Although the ongoing construction work is progressing at a good pace, the works are unlikely to be completed within the scheduled timeframe.
Camp Nou to return to full capacity by June 2026
Barcelona’s initial idea is to return with a maximum capacity of 60,000 in the first phase. However, the club’s total subscriber stands at 80,000, which is higher than the seats available in the first phase.
The report adds that in order to see Camp Nou return to full capacity, the club would have to wait until June 2026.
It must be noted that the planned capacity for the renovated Camp Nou is expected to be around 1,05,000 – making it one of the largest football stadiums in the world.
But it appears Barcelona would have to wait a little longer before they can have their stadium packed full on a Saturday night.
For the time being, Barcelona are conducting a seating survey by asking subscribers their preferred seats or whether or not they would like to rotate seats. This is believed to be the first step, in the club’s bid to return to Camp Nou.
