Camp Nou's Champions League Return: Barcelona To Meet Eintracht Frankfurt At Renovated Stadium

FC Barcelona will host their next UEFA Champions League home match against Eintracht Frankfurt at the renovated Camp Nou on December 9, marking a partial reopening of the iconic stadium after major upgrades. The club confirmed the tie against Frankfurt will welcome about 45,000 supporters as developmental work continues on the new Camp Nou.

Barcelona said on Wednesday that UEFA approved the team's return to the Camp Nou, "considering that all necessary requirements have been met". The club expressed satisfaction, saying, "Barcelona are pleased to be able to compete again at their stadium and to continue advancing in the comprehensive transformation project of the new Spotify Camp Nou."

Partial Capacity For First Matches Back

Earlier in the week, FC Barcelona announced that their Spanish La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao, scheduled for Saturday, will be the first match hosted at Camp Nou since the stadium upgrades began in June 2023. The renovation project aims to expand Europe's largest football venue from 99,000 seats to 105,000 seats.

However, for the upcoming match against Athletic Bilbao, only 45,401 fans will be admitted due to ongoing construction and safety regulations. The club secured the necessary permits, which enabled their return to Camp Nou at partial capacity.

More than 20,000 supporters paid to watch FC Barcelona practice at Camp Nou on November 7, demonstrating strong fan interest despite limited access.

Financing The Massive Remodelling

The heavily indebted Barcelona, under president Joan Laporta, raised 1.45 billion euros from multiple investors to fund the extensive remodelling of Camp Nou.

The original plan was for the team to return to their historic stadium as early as November 2024, coinciding with the club's 125th anniversary. However, construction delays and logistical challenges repeatedly postponed that deadline.

Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Barcelona has played at the municipally owned 55,000-seat Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. An additional delay during the European summer forced the club to host a Spanish league game at a much smaller 6,000-seat stadium on its training grounds on the outskirts of Barcelona in September.

(With AP Inputs)