Barcelona announce Camp Nou return for Aug 10
BARCELONA – Barcelona announced on June 25 their long-awaited return to the new Camp Nou for a friendly on Aug 10 after years of work to expand and modernise the iconic stadium.
The traditional pre-season Joan Gamper Trophy match will only mark the stadium's partial reopening, with construction work continuing in various areas, the current Spanish champions said in a statement.
This includes the completion of the new third tier, the dual VIP ring, the roof installation, interior spaces and development of the stadium's surrounding area.
The Catalan giants have not confirmed the initial capacity, but local media reported that the available stands can hold 35,000 fans.
'Barcelona takes a symbolic and emotional step into the future, reclaiming its home in a new era that will culminate with the complete inauguration of the new stadium,' the club said.
Barca will have another month to continue work on the stadium after requesting to play their first three La Liga games of the upcoming season away from home.
After suffering several delays since beginning in 2023, the project dubbed 'Espai Barca' is due to finish in the summer of 2026 and boost the Camp Nou's capacity to 105,000.
Barcelona have in the meantime played their home games at the smaller Montjuic Olympic stadium.
In other news, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has confirmed that he will undergo surgery on a long-term shoulder issue after the Club World Cup ends.
The England international has been struggling with discomfort after dislocating it in a La Liga match in November 2023, and playing with a brace under his shirt since then.
With Real keen on securing Club World Cup victory, they scheduled the operation for after the final, with Bellingham potentially missing the start of the La Liga season as he recovers.
'I've got the point where... I'm fed up with the brace, and having to tug on it and having (other) players tug on it, and it rearranging all the time,' Bellingham told DAZN.
'I've got a surgery scheduled for after the tournament, I think we scheduled it a few days after the final obviously, so I'll go and do the surgery and get it fixed. I'm really happy about that, it's been a long time coming. I think I've come to the end of my patience with the brace.
'The physio here and the doctor here have been unbelievable helping me to be fine playing game in game out, (but) I'm at that point now where I'm ready to have a free shoulder and free body in terms of the brace.'
Recovery from the surgery could take up to 12 weeks according to reports, so as well as Real's first league games, he may also miss England World Cup qualifiers in September against Andorra and Serbia. AFP
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