UEFA gives Barcelona the green light to host the Champions League at Spotify Camp Nou | OneFootball

The positive news surrounding the Spotify Camp Nou keeps getting better for Barcelona. 

According to a fresh report from Mundo Deportivo, UEFA has officially approved the club’s request to host their upcoming Champions League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday, December 9, at the Camp Nou instead of the Estadi Olímpic. 

With this confirmation, Barcelona can now say with certainty that their exile at Montjuic is completely over.

The match will be historic in its own way. It marks the first Champions League fixture played at the Camp Nou in 1,140 days, as the last one was the painful 0-3 defeat to Bayern Munich in October 2022. 

Supporters have waited a long time to experience a European night in their own stadium again, and the upcoming fixture now carries an added emotional weight.

Everything in right place

Notably, one obstacle had remained – Article 25.08 of the Champions League regulations, which states that clubs cannot change stadiums during the group stage. 

Barcelona appealed to UEFA by emphasising the spirit of the rule. They argued that the intention was not to gain a competitive advantage through a larger venue but simply to return to their actual home after being forced away due to renovation work. 

UEFA eventually accepted the explanation and granted permission.

Barcelona have received the green signal from UEFA as well. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

This decision did not happen overnight. The diplomacy behind the scenes began months ago. 

The strong relationship between Barcelona president Joan Laporta and UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin had already resulted in approval for Barça to begin the 2025-26 Champions League campaign away from home. 

The week has been very positive

The picture changed after Monday, when Barcelona received the First Occupancy Licence from the City Council under phase 1B of the project. 

This licence authorised the reopening of the Lateral stand, which will welcome fans this Saturday against Athletic Club. 

With that step completed, Camp Nou is considered ready to host European football again.

UEFA required two operational guarantees: a live audience for the televised match and a properly allocated away section representing 5% of the total capacity. 

After reviewing Barcelona’s submitted documents, UEFA gave their approval. Now, inspectors will still be present at the venue on November 29, for the match against Alaves to observe the stadium in action and verify all practical details.