Barcelona City Council no longer ruling out Camp Nou reopening on 18 October | OneFootball

Although Barcelona were initially hoping to return to Camp Nou this past weekend against Real Sociedad, it didn’t come to fruition as the club are yet to obtain a license from the City Council.

As a result, Barcelona had to play the game at Montjuic, which will also host their upcoming game against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

However, Barcelona are quite confident about returning to Camp Nou for their next home game, which is on October 18 against Girona.

Barcelona City Council offers a hint

Albert Batlle, Deputy Mayor for Security in Barcelona City Council, in a recent conversation with RAC1, has revealed that returning to the iconic stadium against Girona could be a stark possibility.

“For October 18? We’re hopeful that the necessary adjustments will be made and, from a security perspective, the go-ahead can be given to partially reopen the Camp Nou. I think the minor issues that existed can be resolved,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

Return to Camp Nou could be a matter of time for Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Barcelona have already submitted the Final Construction Certificate for Phase 1A of the renovation, which covers the reopening of the Grandstand and part of Gol Sud.

The club are now waiting to receive its First Occupancy License, the key document required for supporters to be allowed back inside the stadium.

If approved, the initial capacity for the partially reopened Camp Nou will be 27,000 seats, although recent reports suggest Barça are considering the possibility of bringing in 45,000 spectators.

The City Council, which earlier maintained a cautious stance, now believes the timeline is achievable.

Until then, Barcelona only have one game at home, which will be against PSG in the Champions League this Wednesday.