Barcelona get massive Champions League boost as UEFA give green light for Camp Nou return

UEFA granted the club special permission to switch venues mid-competition. The rules normally prevent stadium changes during the league phase, but the European governing body's good relationship with the Spanish club played a role as they accepted Barca’s request after reviewing the circumstances behind the ongoing renovation work.

The approval means that the December 9 match against Eintracht Frankfurt will be played at Camp Nou. Notably, it will be the first Champions League game at the stadium 1,140 days after the 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on October 26, 2022. The Catalan giants recently received a local council licence allowing them to host games with a capped capacity of 45,401. Their first match back will be this Saturday against Athletic Club. The second home fixture, against Alaves on November 29, will be inspected by UEFA officials on-site. Their report will finalise the approval process for the Frankfurt clash.

Announcing that the game against Frankfurt will be played at the renovated stadium, the club wrote in a statement: "This decision comes after obtaining the first occupancy license for Phase 1B, which allows for an increased capacity and includes the entire Lateral area, adding to the already granted license for Phase 1A — covering the Main Stand and South Goal — and takes effect after UEFA accepted the request, considering that all necessary requirements have been met."

The statement added: "FC Barcelona is pleased to be able to compete again at its stadium and to continue advancing in the comprehensive transformation project of the new Spotify Camp Nou. "

The timing of the return is also a boost for club president Joan Laporta, who is preparing to run again in the 2026 Barcelona presidential elections, scheduled between March and May. The reopening of Camp Nou is a key achievement for his administration and strengthens his narrative of steady progress at a crucial moment. He will be up against Victor Font, who now has public backing from former Barca coach Xavi Hernandez. 

Last week, the new Camp Nou grabbed extra attention when Lionel Messi made an unexpected visit and posted photos of the rebuilt stadium on Instagram. His emotional post reignited talk of a possible reunion, but Laporta moved quickly to shut down the possiblity, calling the idea 'unrealistic.'

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Barcelona are stepping into a busy period, and returning to Camp Nou comes at the right time. After facing Athletic this weekend, they will travel to Chelsea in the Champions League before coming back for consecutive La Liga matches against Alaves and Atletico Madrid. These home games will help ease the transition back to the stadium while construction continues around the stands. The rebuild is expected to finish in 2027, with the new Camp Nou set to hold 105,000 fans. For now, the club would be simply happy to be back on familiar ground, playing in front of a much larger crowd than what the Olympic Stadium could offer.

The next big checkpoint comes on November 29, when Barcelona host Alaves under UEFA inspection. If all operations run smoothly, nothing will stand in the way of the Champions League night returning on December 9 - the first European match at Camp Nou in more than three years. The Blaugrana sit three points behind Real Madrid in LaLiga after nine wins in 12 matches. Playing at Camp Nou again, even with limited capacity, is seen as a timely boost as the title race starts to heat up heading into winter.