FC Barcelona returns to Spotify Nou Camp

Article posted by Coliseum, November 11^th, 2025

Image: FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona has held a special open training session at the Spotify Camp Nou to test the stadium’s operational and safety systems before the club’s official return to the venue.

FC Barcelona said the men’s first team trained for the first time at the new-look Spotify Camp Nou, in front of 21,795 fans last Friday November 7, in what served as an essential operational test to ensure everything is ready for the official return.

The stadium’s doors opened at 9.30am, and most of the fans, many of whom had taken the morning off work, welcomed all the players, who arrived already dressed from the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

Even the injured players didn’t want to miss such a symbolic moment. The whole squad took to the pitch together for a group photo to commemorate the occasion before the session began.

FC Barcelona, colloquially known as Barça, is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in the LaLiga, the top flight of Spanish football.

The Spotify Camp Nou is a stadium in Barcelona, Spain, and the home of the LaLiga club FC Barcelona since its opening in 1957.

It is currently undergoing renovation and with a planned increased seating capacity of 105,000 it will be the largest stadium in terms of seating capacity in Spain and Europe and the third largest association football stadium in the world.

Project Manager Burcin Malekkianie said, “Seeing the results of our long efforts and hard work has made us feel both happy and proud. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all my teammates and all the staff who contributed to the iconic Camp Nou project.”

Barcelona’s comeback to the Spotify Camp Nou has been repeatedly delayed by construction setbacks, licensing holdups, and safety concerns.

The club has now secured Phase 1A occupancy approval for 25,991 seats in the Main Stand and Gol Sud area.

But Barça is holding off until Phase 1B is licensed (adding 45,401 total capacity) before resuming full matches.

A competitive match return is earmarked for the weekend of 22–23 November, when Barça hosts Athletic Club, pending full approval of Phase 1B.

Joan Sentelles, the executive overseeing the renovation project, said, “The objective is to have it ready for the Athletic Bilbao match.

“As soon as we receive the 1B license, we’ll be able to open the Lateral stand. That will give us a capacity similar to the Olympic Stadium, and from that point, it will make sense to return and play all our games here.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta struck a more cautious tone when asked about Sentelles’ comments, noting that while the club is eager to come home, it depends on final approvals.

He said, “If we get the 1B license next week, and if there are no unforeseen issues, we will return as soon as possible.

“I am very happy because the process has taken almost 15 years, since 2010 when I finished my first presidential term. We needed to get the plans off the drawing board and into reality to make this dream come true.”

While the November return would mark a major milestone, construction will continue well into next year.

Sentelles confirmed that the goal is to reach a 62,000-seat capacity before the end of 2025, even as work on the third tier continues.

For the club, the reopening represents far more than just a move back home. Laporta has repeatedly described the Espai Barça project as vital for the institution’s sporting, economic, and financial future.

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