Barcelona vice-president Elena Fort has offered some insight into the club’s planned return to the Camp Nou for the Gamper Trophy.
The Catalans have announced they will host the traditional curtain-raiser back at their famous old stadium on August 10.
Fort says the plan is to have around 60,000 fans in the stadium to watch the game and thinks that is an achievable aim.
> “The idea is to return to the Gamper with 60,000 spectators, it is the objective and the idea and today I understand that it can be fulfilled,” she told SER Catalunya.
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> “it may also be that at some point there is an access that we do not consider sufficiently safe and, therefore, as we have security as a basic principle, we find that we have to close an area or not, etc... The goal is 60,000 spectators, but we’ll see in the coming weeks, we’ll know very soon.”
Fort also said that UEFA representatives have already visited the stadium and liked what they saw.
> “They were absolutely delighted with the size and impact of this new stadium,” she added.
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> “I want to value, thank and congratulate all the anonymous people who are doing an immense job and who must be valued. They work day, night and weekends so that this dream can come true as soon as possible. It will be the best stadium in the world.
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> “When we return to the Camp Nou we will not find an absolutely finished pitch. It is a valid, effective return that works to get in, but we may find that we do not have all the restoration in operation, perhaps all the toilets are not finished... We are in a phase of return. It will not be 100% finished, but it will be fully valid to be used.”
The Gamper game will be Barca’s first match at their traditional home in over two years and should be a huge boost for the club, players and fans.