After seemingly unending delays, Barcelona could make their much anticipated return to the Camp Nou next week in a training session that will be open to the public.
Nov. 7 has been signaled as the likelist date for the training session to happen, per various reports. Barcelona could train at their spiritual home two days before making the trip to face Celta Vigo in their final match before the November international break.
The idea to hold an open training session at Camp Nou came from Barcelona’s City Council, per AS. A training session with fans in attendance would allow inspectors to assess the logistics of the renovated stadium, essentially as a trial run for how it would look like during a matchday.
If the trial is a success, it could go a long way to expedite the process of Barcelona getting the license to host over 45,000 fans at Camp Nou, which is the only thing separating the Catalans from returning to their iconic stadium.
Although the club still hasn’t officially announced plans to conduct the session, the operation is reportedly ongoing and more information could surface in the coming days.
Barcelona Want First Camp Nou Game Before End of November
Theoretically, Barcelona could have already returned to play games at Camp Nou since mid-October.
The Catalans were granted a Phase 1A license by the city council that allows them to host close to 26,000 fans for matches at the Camp Nou. But the club opted against a return, instead staying put at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys where they can host over double the amount of supporters.
Barcelona’s plan is to wait until they’re granted the Phase 1B license that would see Camp Nou’s capacity reach over 45,000. Should it all go according to plan, the aim is to get that green light during the upcoming international break.
If next week’s test goes smoothly, then Barcelona’s dream of hosting their Nov. 22 La Liga clash against Athletic Club at Camp Nou might become a reality.
If it happens, the match against Athletic Club would take place exactly 909 days since the last time Barcelona played a game at the stadium.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Could Return to Camp Nou as Early as Next Week—Report.