Barcelona have confirmed that UEFA has officially approved their request to stage Champions League fixtures at the newly refurbished Camp Nou, marking a major breakthrough in the club’s long and troubled stadium reconstruction project.
The approval arrives barely days after the Catalan side announced that they would finally resume league games at their historic home ground, which has been under reconstruction for more than two years. During that period, the team had been forced into temporary venues due to repeated delays and regulatory setbacks.
Barca are scheduled to host Eintracht Frankfurt in Europe on December 9, a little over two weeks after the stadium is reopened to fans for La Liga action against Athletic Bilbao on November 22. In their statement, the club noted that “UEFA accepted the request, considering that all the necessary requirements have been met.”
The decision draws a line under a frustrating chapter in which Barcelona repeatedly pushed back their planned return dates. Persistent construction problems and the inability to secure essential safety certifications left the club scrambling for alternatives. In a particularly embarrassing moment at the start of the season, they had to stage two official matches at the much smaller Johan Cruyff Stadium, which seats about 6,000 spectators, after the larger venue failed to obtain the required clearance.
Since then, the Spanish champions have been based at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc, accommodating around 55,000 fans—still far short of the revenue-generating power of a fully operational Camp Nou.
When Camp Nou reopens against Bilbao, the usable capacity will be capped at 45,401 seats while construction continues. The club plans to eventually expand the venue to a massive 105,000 once the top tier is completed. Earlier this month, roughly 23,000 supporters were admitted for an open training session as part of mandatory test-event requirements.
The prolonged delays have dealt a heavy financial blow to a club already grappling with economic strain. Barcelona desperately needs full stadium operations to stabilize its accounts, especially as the ongoing redevelopment project is projected to cost around 1.5 billion euros ($1.74bn).
