Barça makes official the date of its return to Camp Nou

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 play 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 how many fans will be 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.

Renovation work on the Camp Nou is ongoing, both inside and outside the stadium, and there is still much work to be done before August 10th. At that time, only the first two stands—those that can accommodate 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 the 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 three 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 last season fell on September 19th.

As for the Gamper Stadium, although the club's official narrative is that it can dream of opening its doors with this figure of 60,000 spectators, the reality is quite different. With construction work underway, including the access points, it is unlikely that the club will obtain all the necessary permits (as well as security) to host that number of fans before August 10, according to sources consulted by ARA. Thus, the most pessimistic forecast is that the brand-new Barça stadium can accommodate around 25,000, and with a more optimistic projection, up to 40,000. In fact, it will be the municipal forces and the security forces of the Catalan government who will determine what the final attendance figure could be.

Barça, which will conduct a small pilot test at the entrances before Gamper Stadium, with press and club-affiliated personnel, as well as some guests, has already requested permits for the reopening on August 10. Specifically, from Barcelona City Hall, the Fire Department, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), and in the Les Corts district. Ticket sales will also be finalized until the last minute. Given that Gamper Stadium takes place during one of Barcelona's busiest tourist months and this match is usually a popular draw for foreigners visiting the Catalan capital, the club is fully confident that all tickets will be sold out, even if they have to be sold at the last minute. The club, which needs to play matches at Camp Nou again as an economic driver and take advantage of the huge impact generated by a winning team led by Hansi Flick and led by Lamine Yamal, hopes to count on the support of Barcelona's municipal entities.

An advertisement with the mountain of Montserrat

"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 development of the stadium area. During this stage, the club will work to ensure the maximum comfort of members and fans visiting Spotify Camp Nou, facilitating access and adapting services to offer the best possible experience," he continues.

Beyond Laporta's prominence, the ad features followers of the culture that plays its music from Montserrat Mountain. The idea is to express the excitement of returning to Camp Nou, with images from a seismograph that show this increase in the Barça emotional vibration.