Club president Joan Laporta describes the event as a “really nice feeling” for players and fans
Barcelona took another step toward their long-awaited return to Camp Nou on Friday, staging an open training session in front of more than 23,000 supporters.
It was the first time in nearly two years that the men’s team had taken to the pitch at their historic ground. The club have majorly been playing home games at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys at Montjuic to allow for a €1.5bn rebuild of Camp Nou.
Friday’s event was a live test of the venue’s readiness to host matches again. Fans filled the lower sections of the revamped stadium, with work still ongoing at the upper tiers.
Supporters cheered as the players went through training drills on the pitch. For some of the players, such as Marc Casado, Dani Olmo, Pau Cubarsi and Fermin Lopez, it was their first experience on the Camp Nou turf.
Club president Joan Laporta said the session was a significant moment for the club and supporters, confirming that plans remain in place for an official return later this month.
“Camp Nou is a football field, and although Montjuic has given better results than we expected, this is the real field,” said Laporta.
“I’ll take away the fact that the players have come out onto the field impressed. It’s a return to the future. Some players had never even set foot in Camp Nou, and others have returned home, which is a very nice feeling.
“They want to come back here because it will help them a lot in achieving their goals.”
Barcelona hope to receive final clearance from the city council to host matches with a capacity of around 45,000, up from the current temporary licence of around 26,000. Once the permit is granted, the club intend to play their first competitive fixture at the ground since May 2023, likely against Athletic Club on 22 November 22 or Alaves on 29 November.
Construction still ongoing on the third tier and the new roof means that the final phase of the redevelopment will not be completed at least until late 2026.
