UEFA will allow Barcelona to break a little-known rule following their Champions League league phase fixture against Chelsea.
Barcelona and Chelsea are set to face each other at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, November 25.
The Catalan side and English outfit both currently sit outside of the automatic knockout qualification spots, with Barca in 11th, having won two, drawn one, and lost one of their four Champions League games this term, while Chelsea sit 12th with an identical record.
As things stand, Enzo Maresca’s and Hansi Flick’s teams would have to take part in a play-off to progress to the knockout stages.
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But following next week’s round of fixtures, Barcelona will benefit from being allowed permission to break a little-known UEFA rule.
The La Liga side has not played a competitive match at the Camp Nou since facing Real Mallorca at the venue on May 28, 2023, before renovation work began on the historic ground.
Since then, the side have played at the 55,000-seater Olympic stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill, around a 20-minute car journey from Camp Nou.
Initial plans stated that Barca would be back playing at their traditional home last November, but a series of delays halted the process.
Finally, on Saturday, 22 November, the ground will re-open at a reduced capacity of 45,000 for Flick’s side’s league match against Athletic Club.
During their time away from Camp Nou, Barca have even played two games at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium - usually used for women’s and youth games - after failing to get the appropriate permit for the Camp Nou due to safety concerns.
The club has also stated that they have been granted permission to host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League at their newly renovated stadium on December 9.
European football’s governing body has effectively granted the club permission to break one of its rules.
As per UEFA regulations, “a club must, in principle, play all its matches in the competition at one and the same stadium”.
Although changes are allowed and “must be agreed in advance with UEFA”.
The renovation work on Camp Nou cost around £1.1 billion and will increase the capacity to 105,000 – the largest in Europe.
But what else is new about the Camp Nou following its makeover?
Previously just five percent of seats were seen a ‘VIP boxes’ between the second and third tier. The new design includes a double ring of boxes and will generate a projected £105 million of annual income.
New heating and cooling systems have also been installed, with an expansion of the club shop and museum also added. The concourses and entrances have also been improved with better accessibility for fans with reduced mobility following the installation of lifts and elevators.
Topics: Barcelona, Champions League, UEFA, Football, Chelsea
Luke Davies