UEFA announces that the Barcelona-Olympiacos Champions League match will be played at the Camp Nou

UEFA has published on its website that the Barcelona-Olympiacos match, corresponding to the third matchday of the Champions League group stage, will be played on October 21 at the new Spotify Camp Nou. The news has generated great expectation among the Barcelona fans, as it means the team's return to the stadium after more than a year of construction.

The announcement comes in a context of uncertainty. Fútbol Club Barcelona conveyed to UEFA its desire to play this European commitment at the Camp Nou, but it still needs to receive definitive authorization from both the European body and the municipal authorities for the partial reopening of the stadium.

The Barça-Girona match could also be played at the Camp Nou

The match against Olympiacos is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21. Just three days before, Barça will host Girona in LaLiga, a match that, according to the Barcelona City Council, could also be played at the Camp Nou if the necessary security conditions are met. Jaume Collboni, mayor of the city, expressed his confidence that “good news can be given soon.”

For his part, Albert Batlle, Deputy Mayor for Security, assured that “we have the hope that the adjustments that had to be made will be completed and that, from the point of view of security, the green light can be given to partially reopen the Camp Nou.”

UEFA requirements and current status of the Camp Nou works

UEFA requires additional conditions compared to LaLiga. For the European tournament, it is required that the second side of the stadium has been enabled, which would allow expanding the capacity from 27,000 to 45,000 spectators. This point is not yet resolved in the remodeling process.

Web de la UEFA anuncia Barcelona-Olympiacos en Camp Nou

In addition, European regulations prevent a club from playing the group stage matches in two different stadiums. This means that Barça should have a special permit, since this same week they face PSG at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Optimism at Fútbol Club Barcelona

In the culé environment, optimism prevails. From the entity, they emphasize that the request does not respond to economic interests, but to a sporting and logistical need. The objective is for the team to return to its natural stadium as soon as possible, with more capacity and with the possibility that the fans recover the direct connection with the Camp Nou.

Although the UEFA announcement on its website is an important step, the definitive confirmation will depend on two factors: the authorization of the highest European body and the completion of the minimum security works required by the City Council. Until then, the return to the Camp Nou will remain a pending objective.

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