Barca under UEFA scrutiny ahead of Champions League opener

Barcelona is hastily working to finish upgrades at Spotify Camp Nou before UEFA’s important evaluation.

According to information from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona faces a race against time as UEFA is set to inspect Spotify Camp Nou this weekend to assess its readiness for the Champions League. The inspection, scheduled for August 21, will focus on the current status of the renovations and whether the stadium meets UEFA’s strict standards for European venues.

This move comes as Barca is urgently completing required works to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy (CFO), which is essential for the Barcelona City Council to approve the initial usage permit. With less than three weeks until the official home match against Valencia (on September 13 or 14), UEFA’s decision is especially critical for the club’s European plans.

According to the phased opening plan, if Spotify Camp Nou becomes operational in phase 1A, capacity will be limited to 27,000 spectators. However, UEFA requires additional stands for TV broadcasting of European cup matches, which can only be fulfilled in phase 1B with 45,000 seats. The final phase, 1C, will see the inauguration of the Gol Nord section.

Barcelona must finalize their stadium plan next week, as both options—continuing at Spotify Camp Nou or moving to Estadi Olímpic—are still being considered for Champions League matches.

Clearly, the tight timeline and UEFA’s strict regulations are creating a major challenge for the Catalan team, especially as they hope to return to European competition at their iconic Camp Nou after a long absence due to renovations.

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