MADRID, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona announced on Monday that it will finally return to play matches in the Camp Nou Stadium on Saturday when it faces Athletic Club Bilbao.
The return, which will be in front of slightly over 45,400 fans, comes after the club was finally given the license to partially open the ground after two and a half years of renovation work, which began at the end of May 2023.
The renovation of the Camp Nou, is thought to have cost the club around 1.5 billion euros, with improvements including an increased capacity from 99,000 to 105,000 fans and a completely renewed roof.
Barcelona had planned to return to its traditional home at the start of the current La Liga season, but construction delays and licensing issues forced the club to continue playing at the former Olympic Stadium at Montjuic, with two matches held at the 6,000-seat Johan Cruyff Stadium, normally used by the women's team and B team.
