Barça confirm Camp Nou return not before May

Barcelona have confirmed they will not return to Spotify Camp Nou before May as renovation work on the club's stadium drags on.

It means they will potentially finish this season at the Olympic Stadium, where they have been playing since the Camp Nou revamp began in the summer of 2023, although sources have told ESPN hosting a match in May has not been completely ruled out.

Barça end the LaLiga campaign with matches against Real Madrid (May 11) and Villarreal (May 18).

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Friday's announcement that they will continue at the Olympic Stadium until at least April 23, when they host Mallorca, means they are committed to playing all their remaining Champions League games at the Olympic Stadium.

UEFA rules do allow a change of stadiums after the group stage, but teams are not allowed to use multiple venues during the knockout phase.

Barça had originally hoped to be back playing matches at Camp Nou last November, coinciding with the club's 125th anniversary, as part of a phased return.

The Catalan club revealed in November a delay until at least January, with sources then telling ESPN in December the club were working internally on the possibility they will not be back at Camp Nou until next season.

Progress in redeveloping and modernising the ground has been slowed due to the fact more work was required on the second tier than initially planned.

The pitch, meanwhile, will require up to three months to be properly installed to ensure it is at the level required to host elite football, with sources telling ESPN that process is due to begin in February.

When Barça finally return to Camp Nou, the attendance will initially be capped at around 60,000 as work continues.

The stadium should then be completely finished by the summer of 2026, with the capacity increased to around 105,000, the highest in Europe.