No away fans allowed at Camp Nou as Barcelona inform Athletic Club they cannot send tickets

Barca have told Athletic Club that they cannot allocate any away tickets for Saturday’s La Liga meeting at the newly reopened Camp Nou, citing safety limitations under the stadium’s temporary operating licence. The match marks Barca’s first competitive fixture at their historic home since May 2023, but the main headline is the unprecedented restriction placed on visiting fans as the club navigates partial-capacity regulations.

Athletic Club confirmed the development in an official communication, stating: “FC Barcelona will not be able to send away tickets to Athletic Bilbao.” The Basque side detailed the reasons supplied by Barca, who explained that the current Phase 1B licence “does not allow for the guarantee of separation, control, and minimum protection conditions required by regulations for hosting visiting fans.” According to Barcelona, the necessary sectorisation measures are still under construction and will only be completed in the coming weeks.

The club are reopening Camp Nou in stages after two seasons at Montjuic, with 45,401 seats authorised for this first phase. However, the reopened sections, Tribune, South Goal and Lateral stand, remain structurally incomplete, preventing the segregation of supporters. For all the excitement surrounding the return to the stadium, this regulatory hurdle has forced the Catalans club to deny Athletic’s travelling contingent an allocation.

Athletic Club relayed Barcelona’s explanation in full, highlighting that the restrictions stem from specific infrastructural limitations. "The match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at the new Spotify Camp Nou this coming Saturday will not have the usual tickets allocated to the red-and-white fans."

The Catalan club cited two primary concerns: “Non-independent access points” and “insufficient physical sectorisation.” The statement stressed that the available entry and exit routes “do not allow for the establishment of exclusive circuits for visiting fans,” meaning cross-flow with local supporters could not be avoided.

Furthermore, the partially rebuilt stands “do not have adequate structural elements to safely isolate and delimit the visiting sector.” These conditions prevent the implementation of a secure visiting enclosure, an obligation under La Liga and local safety regulations. 

The Basque side also noted that the unusual measure is a direct product of the stadium’s ongoing redevelopment. With Barca yet to finish the internal circulation systems, security railings and stand separations in the Lateral and North Goal areas, both clubs have been forced to adapt. The safety explanations align with the council’s earlier assessment, which emphasised evacuation-route improvements and structural checks as conditions for granting the temporary licence.

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

While the away-fan ban is the key story, Saturday’s match will still be a symbolic moment for Barcelona supporters. The council’s Phase 1B approval allows 45,401 spectators to attend the fixture, the first competitive game at Camp Nou since renovation work forced a two-season relocation to the Olympic Stadium on Montjuic.

The club has modernised the pitch access, internal circulation, handrail systems, digital ticketing gates, dressing rooms, and player tunnel as part of the reportedly massive €900 million redevelopment project. Earlier this month, 23,000 supporters attended an open training session that provided a public glimpse of the reconstructed sections.

Initial plans had earmarked late 2024 for a partial reopening, but construction delays, safety inspections and access-route concerns pushed the timeline back. Barca even abandoned their intention to play the Joan Gamper Trophy at the stadium, instead beginning the season at the 6,000-capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff. Full completion of the redevelopment is scheduled for June 2026, after which the stadium will seat 105,000.

Barca will continue operating under reduced-capacity conditions for the remainder of the season, with digital-only tickets remaining in place as part of the safety protocol for the partially reopened Camp Nou. Member presales have already begun for domestic fixtures, but the absence of visiting fans on Saturday raises questions about how quickly the club can complete the sectorisation work required for away allocations.

The next stage, the Phase 1C licence, aims to reopen the North Goal stand, which should provide the structural independence required for proper segregation. Until those areas are completed, away supporters may remain excluded from fixtures to ensure compliance with local regulations.

Barca are also reportedly in dialogue with UEFA regarding the ability to host their upcoming Champions League fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou. The club insist it meets the requirements, although the governing body's formal approval is still pending. With construction ongoing and safety inspections continuing throughout the season, every fixture will require coordination between the club, the council and competition organisers.