Spotify Camp Nou: Barcelona return to refurbished stadium for open training session in front of 23,000 fans ahead of reopening
The Spotify Camp Nou is undergoing a £1.25bn refurbishment; Barcelona returned to stadium for first time with open training session in front of 21,795 supporters on Friday; LaLiga club is targeting official return later this month; Spotify Camp Nou set to have capacity of 105,000
Thursday 20 November 2025 09:38, UK
Barcelona staged an open training session at their new-look Spotify Camp Nou on Friday in front of 21,795 supporters as they edged closer to returning to the stadium.
Barca have not played at their iconic ground since 2023 - a total of 895 days - due to a £1.25bn refurbishment, with home matches taking place at the Olympic Stadium in the city.
Friday's training session ahead of Sunday's LaLiga match against Celta Vigo served as a test event before the club return for matches later this month.
It was head coach Hansi Flick's first experience at the Spotify Camp Nou and for Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford as a Barcelona player.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said the plan is to be back for either the LaLiga fixture against Athletic Club on November 22 or a week later when Flick's side host Alaves, coinciding with the club's 126th anniversary. The club then welcomes Atletico Madrid in the league on December 2.
The club is waiting for two licences which are anticipated to be permitted before the end of the year. The first will allow them to hold 45,000 spectators, with the second making the stadium fully operational.
Barcelona currently have a licence for the stadium to hold 25,991 people, which was granted in October, but will wait until they can welcome more fans before returning officially.
Work remains ongoing on the ground with the third tier and the roof still to be added. The first two tiers are nearing completion and the current estimate is that the stadium will be finished in 2027, as the capacity increases until reaching 105,000.
Barcelona had hoped to return by the end of 2024 and then targeted early 2025 before pushing back the date to the beginning of this season.
They had to play their first two games of the season at the 6,000-capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff because the Olympic Stadium was not available or ready to stage matches. The club has played their last five home games there.
'Unbelievable Nou Camp one of my favourites' - Rashford
One player who will be hoping to make an impact at the new Spotify Camp Nou is Rashford. The England international has impressed since joining the club on loan from Manchester United in the summer and will be hoping to add to his 13 goal involvements when he gets the chance to step out onto the famous turf.
Not only has Rashford already experienced playing at the Spotify Camp Nou against Barcelona, he even scored in a 2-2 draw while still plying his trade for the Red Devils back in 2023.
Now, he is relishing the opportunity to call the famous arena his home.
"I think it's a beautiful stadium and as you can imagine, when it's full it's going to be unbelievable. I cannot wait to be on the pitch with more of the home fans," Rashford said.
"It's lovely that they can be here to watch the first training session. The pitch is beautiful and I'm really looking forward to playing here.
"Camp Nou was always one of my favourite stadiums and one I wanted to play in. To play in it for Barcelona is a different feeling. I don't know what it will be like, but I'm looking forward to it and I'm going to enjoy it."
