Barça makes official the date of its return to Camp Nou
Hansi Flick's team will compete in the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 10th with a reduced capacity.
BarcelonaAlmost two years after saying goodbye, on May 28, 2023, Barça has set an official date for its return to Camp Nou: August 10 to compete in the Joan Gamper Trophy. The Catalan club made this official this Wednesday through an announcement circulated on social media under the slogan "We're coming home, we're vibrating," featuring president Joan Laporta. However, Barça has yet to reveal the opponent for this match or the number of fans allowed to attend (although it is certain that capacity will be limited). The event will serve as a testing ground for the return to official competition, which will take place weeks later.
The renovation work on Camp Nou is still ongoing, both inside and outside the stadium, and there is still much work to be done before August 10th. By then, only the first two stands—which can hold up to 60,000 seats—will be available, and they likely won't be fully operational, which would reduce the number of fans who can attend the match compared to the official season, when Camp Nou is expected to hold around 60,000 spectators. The club's forecast is that the first official competitive match can be played in mid-September, after playing the first four matchdays of the La Liga championship away from home. A request that must be approved by Javier Tebas, president of the Spanish football association. The stadium must be ready to host the first matchday of the Champions League group stage, which fell on September 19th last season.
The difficulty of permits
As for the Gamper Stadium, although the club's official narrative is that it dreams of opening the doors of the Camp Nou to this number of 60,000 spectators, the reality is quite different. With construction work underway, including the entrances, it is unlikely that the club will obtain all the necessary permits (especially security ones) to host this number of fans before August 10, according to sources consulted by ARA. Thus, the most pessimistic forecast is that the new Barça stadium will be able to accommodate around 25,000, and with a more optimistic projection, up to 40,000. In fact, it will be the municipal forces and the Catalan government's security forces who will determine the final attendance figure.
Barça, which will conduct a small pilot test at the entrances before the Gamper Stadium, with press and club-affiliated personnel, as well as some invited guests, has already requested permits for the reopening on August 10. Specifically, to Barcelona City Council, the Bomberos (Bomberi), the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police), and the Les Corts district. Ticket sales will also be closed until the last minute. As the Gamper takes place in one of Barcelona's busiest tourist months, and this match is usually a popular attraction for foreigners visiting the Catalan capital, the club is fully confident that they will sell out all the tickets, even if they have to sell out at the last minute. Barça, which needs to play matches at the Camp Nou again as an economic driver to take advantage of the huge impact generated by a winning team managed by Hansi Flick and led by Lamine Yamal, hopes to count on the support of Barcelona's municipal entities.
An advertisement featuring the Montserrat mountain
"The return will take place while work continues on the new Spotify Camp Nou, and it will be necessary to coexist with work in different areas of the grounds," Barça's statement on the return reads. "Among the parts that still need to be completed are the completion of the construction of the new third tier, the double link." VIP, the installation of the roof and the final adaptation of some interior spaces, as well as the exterior urbanization of the stadium area. During this stage, the club will work to ensure the maximum comfort of members, fans and supporters who visit Spotify Camp Nou, facilitating access and adapting services to offer the best possible experience," he continues.
Beyond Laporta's prominence, the advertisement to inform about the return to Camp Nou features Barça fans and various elements of Catalan culture, such as the gralles or a drummer playing his music from Montserrat Mountain. The idea is to express the excitement of this return, with images from a seismograph showing the increase in the Culer emotional vibration.