In his first official comment following the historic decision issued from Thessaloniki, Barcelona president Joan Laporta did not hide his overwhelming delight at the selection of the Camp Nou to host the 2029 Champions League final, describing the decision as the culmination of the club's ambitious project and international recognition of the new stadium's standing as a global benchmark.
UEFA's executive committee met in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on Tuesday and confirmed the Camp Nou as host. Laporta responded through Spanish media: "It is a source of immense pride for Barcelona and all its supporters."
The Blaugrana president added: "This selection is also international recognition of the new Camp Nou, which cements its standing as a world-class stadium, at the forefront of experience, technology, connectivity, accessibility and services."
Work on the stadium will be fully completed in early 2028, Laporta revealed, with the new roof due to go up in the summer of 2027. He stressed that staging the final on Saturday 2 June 2029 will give Barcelona's project a huge boost.
There is particular symbolism here. The honour flows from the excellent relations Laporta rebuilt with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin after the collapse of the European Super League project.
Barcelona will now host the European Cup final at the Camp Nou for the third time in the club's history. Milan lifted the trophy there in 1989, and Manchester United settled the famous 1999 final in the closing moments.
Laporta commented on this, saying: "UEFA's trust in hosting one of the biggest events in world football underlines the scale and ambition of this project, and cements the Camp Nou's standing as a new symbol of Barcelona and an international benchmark."
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He closed by thanking everyone who helped the bid succeed: "I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Barcelona City Council, the Government of Catalonia, and the Spanish Football Federation for their support of this bid. It is an important achievement we accomplished together, one that cements the standing of Barcelona, Catalonia and FC Barcelona on the world stage."