Barcelona optimistic about receiving Camp Nou expansion license on Friday or Monday | OneFootball

In a key development, Mundo Deportivo reports that FC Barcelona hope to receive the green light by Friday or Monday to open the Gol Nord stand at the Spotify Camp Nou and increase capacity to 62,000 spectators.

Although the City Council has not provided any official timeline, Barcelona remain optimistic about obtaining the First Occupancy License for Phase 1C of the stadium renovation project in the next few days.

If approved, the license will allow the reopening of the Gol Nord stand, increasing the stadium’s capacity from 45,401 to approximately 62,000 spectators.

If the Catalans receive the approval in the coming days as expected, the first match played at the Spotify Camp Nou with the expanded capacity could be the La Liga fixture against Sevilla on Sunday, the 15th. The match coincides with the Barça presidential elections.

More fans could be welcomed at Camp Nou soon. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

The next scheduled home game after that would be the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 second leg against Newcastle United FC on Wednesday, the 18th.

Barcelona have also confirmed that once the city council officially grants the Phase 1C license, club members will have an additional 24 hours to apply for one of the 14,000 new season tickets made available on February 19.

The passes are priced between €160 and €264. If the number of applications exceeds the available spots, the club will conduct a lottery among applicants.

For Barcelona, securing the approval as soon as possible would not only allow a larger crowd for key matches, but also represent another important step in the gradual return to a fully operational Spotify Camp Nou.