Now, football has returned to Camp Nou

BarcelonaJoan Garcia was the first player to have the honor of stepping onto the Camp Nou pitch on this historic day. The goalkeeper spent a good while applauding the fans, looking to the right and left, contemplating the majesty of the stadium. He had already participated in the open training session, but nothing compared to the butterflies in his stomach on match day. Szczesny followed, and a few minutes later, the rest of his teammates appeared to warm up. The stands, still half full, began to buzz. And they buzzed for quite some time, although, such is football – and such is Barça – there was more noise before the match than when the ball started rolling.

The day began with intense cold in the Les Corts neighborhood, which was quickly offset by the hustle and bustle of fans who didn't want to miss the return home. Unlike other matches, it was harder to distinguish the tourists from the local fans. It's the foreigners who are really making a fuss. selfies They've already immortalized their presence at Camp Nou a thousand times over. Of course, the season ticket holders, who hadn't renewed any for two and a half years, have done exactly the same. "We'll always be able to say we were there," say two young members, gazing at the stadium from one of the access walkways.

Everything is new. The structure of the third tier and the change in slope of the first tier have resulted in noticeable changes to the access points. The stands are also different. Between this and the construction work, which forces some zigzags to enter the stadium, the arrival is slower than usual. Most people are having trouble finding their way around. Nothing that can't be solved with a little goodwill. Sometimes, stopping to take a photo is a good excuse to kill time. Everything seems to be working correctly, as did the open training session that served as a pilot test. That day there were 23,000 fans. Now, 45,157, almost double.

The fact that the tickets were extremely expensive hasn't prevented the stadium from being full. There were even scalpers at the entrance hoping to snag a desperate tourist.Sold out"!", they shouted from the Barça stands, celebrating that the risky and unpopular pricing policy had finally paid off. The music, pyrotechnics, and the CAT entertainment helped make the pre-match atmosphere enjoyable. Only a few minutes remained. The performance by Figa Flawas and the singing of the Barça anthem by the Cor Jove del Orfeó Català marked the moments before one of the most emotional: the honorary service, performed by the two longest-serving members, Juan Canela Salamero and Jordi Penas Iberri (1957).

That day, Barça scored first. The party continued in the stands, but it gradually faded as the minutes ticked by, even though the score remained in favor of the home team.

Camp Nou, old traditions. Liceu. Luckily, there were some controversial refereeing decisions. And Above all, Nico Williams, who every time he touched the ball was reminded of the betrayal of the summer, when he refused to sign for Barça and renewed with Athletic. The moment in the area with the physiognomy. able to be used.

But it seems that this is not the most relevant thing, but rather that football has finally returned to the Camp Nou.