The match against Olympiacos in the Champions League will not be held at Camp Nou but once again at the Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys. The club has still not obtained the necessary permits, and the return to the renovated venue remains without a set date.

Montjuïc instead of Les Corts

FC Barcelona announced on Thursday that the third match of the UEFA Champions League group stage, scheduled for Tuesday, October 21 at 18:45 against Olympiacos, will be played at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Initially, UEFA had listed Camp Nou as the venue, but the club explained that it still cannot return to its stadium.

The reason lies in ongoing administrative procedures. The club has not yet obtained the final building certificate that would allow partial opening of the venue. Although it was planned to open one sector with a 27,000-spectator limit, Barcelona City Council did not grant approval. The latest inspection revealed irregularities and shortcomings in safety, especially regarding evacuation routes.

Club statement and city authorities’ response

In an official statement, Barcelona underlined: FC Barcelona informs that the third match of the Champions League group stage, on Tuesday, October 21 at 18:45 against Olympiacos, will be played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The Club continues to work on obtaining the necessary administrative permits to open Spotify Camp Nou in the near future. Within this framework, FC Barcelona is working on new amendments that Barcelona City Council shared with the Club last week.

The city authorities confirmed that fan safety remains the priority. Laia Bonet, Barcelona’s First Deputy Mayor, refused to point to any potential opening date: I will not speak about dates out of respect for the technicians.

This means that earlier suggestions of a partial reopening on October 18, during the league match against Girona, were not confirmed.

© FC Barcelona | Construction of Spotify Camp Nou

Further obstacles and uncertain future

Delays arise not only from administrative procedures but also from financial and logistical reasons. The club was well aware that a partially opened Camp Nou could accommodate only 27,000 spectators, while Montjuïc allows over 50,000. This translates into higher matchday revenue, which makes the current wait advantageous for Barcelona.

UEFA regulations also play a role. The federation requires that, before hosting European matches, a stadium must first be approved for domestic competitions. This means that until Barça play a league match at Camp Nou, they will not be able to host Champions League rivals there.

Tickets and fans

After confirming that the clash with Olympiacos would be held at Montjuïc, the club opened the ticket sales process. Season ticket holders from the Olympic stadium for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns were granted a 48-hour priority purchase window.

In its official communication, the Catalan club thanked its supporters: FC Barcelona thanks its members and fans for their understanding and support in such a complex and exciting process as the return to the new Spotify Camp Nou.

© Stadionvoyeur | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc)

Return still without a date

The transformation of Camp Nou is already ten months behind schedule. The most complex element – the roof installation – has been pushed back to 2027, two years later than planned.

Currently, increasing speculation suggests the return may not happen until November. One potential date is the league match against Athletic Club, scheduled for November 23. According to optimistic forecasts, a larger section of the stands could then be opened, accommodating between 45,000 and 62,000 spectators.

With the first two Champions League group matches already secured for Montjuïc, Barcelona does not rule out that the following fixtures – against Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Copenhagen – will also take place away from Camp Nou. This would mean that the entire group stage under Hansi Flick would be played at Olympic Stadium.