Why Barcelona’s return to £1.25bn Spotify Camp Nou has been delayed as potential first game at revamped stadium is revealed

Following their record-breaking La Liga title win in the 2022-23 season, Barcelona announced that their home stadium Spotify Camp Nou would be undergoing a massive renovation. The Catalan club also announced that they would not return to the stadium in Les Corts until the 2024-25 season and would play at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic, just outside the main city. Delays had hit the stadium last year, and Barcelona had announced their plans to return to the stadium by November end. However, the club has now informed their season ticket holders that the return has been pushed to February.

The club asserted that a UEFA regulation that forbade teams from switching stadiums during the first round of the Champions League was a significant contributing element. Barcelona will host Atalanta on January 29 in the last round of the new Champions League group stage. Barcelona cited the expense of simultaneously maintaining two locations as justification for delaying their domestic return to Camp Nou.

In a statement to season ticket holders, Barcelona said: "Due to UEFA regulations preventing a change of stadium in the initial phase of the Champions League and the logistical difficulties and cost of maintaining two large capacity venues operational at the same time, the Club has decided to continue playing its home games at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys until the end of the initial phase of the Champions League.

"Therefore, the games against Valencia and Alaves in weeks 21 and 22 of La Liga, as well as the game in week eight of the Champions League against Atalanta will be played at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys."

As per the Daily Mail, Barcelona's renovation of the Spotify Camp Nou cost the club £1.25 billion ($1.58bn). The overhaul of the stadium will give Camp Nou a capacity of 105,000, making it the fifth-largest sports stadium in the world after Narendra Modi Stadium in India, Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea, Michigan Stadium and Beaver Stadium in the United States.

An official return date to the Spotify Camp Nou has not yet been confirmed by the La Liga leaders. However, the news suggests that Barcelona's first home game at Camp Nou could be against Rayo Vallecano, which is set for the weekend of February 16.