Morning session at Camp Nou

On the faces of the 23,000 Barcelona fans who were able to enter Camp Nou yesterday, I saw the same excitement as on Christmas morning. The promised gift that hadn't arrived was now ready to be unwrapped. It was the day to rediscover the treasure trove of lifelong emotions, which had remained unopened for 30 months, and to recapture the feeling of belonging to the group within the walls they consider their home.

Camp Nou today is the towering structure of the third tier that envelops, like a cape, the entire double-height section of Mitjans, Soteras, and García-Barbón from 1957, now completely renovated, rebuilt according to the original structure but clean, clear, and illuminated, befitting the 21st century. It is clearly visible where the new construction begins and where the old walls meet.

The pitch is missing, of course, the majestic canopy that soared exclusively above the stands, which gave the stadium so much personality and modernity, and which will be replaced by a tent covering all the seats, democratically.

The stands seem more angled towards the goals, and, in contrast, the third tier no longer slopes down to the end of the second, but rises above it. Between this and the fact that it will no longer have that dynamic curve that the first architects of Camp Nou imported from the Helsinki stadium – where the 1952 Olympic Games were held and which was added in the expansion for the 1982 World Cup – Camp Nou will end up with a final section of striking verticality.

This stadium will awaken new feelings of pride. The delays will be forgotten; Laporta will simply need to "go in and enjoy it," and a new era in the club's history will begin, featuring many players who were training yesterday but have yet to play at the Camp Nou. Perhaps it will be in two weeks.