FC Barcelona have dragged out their return to the Spotify Camp Nou for far too long. The deadline has kept shifting since the beginning of the year, and the Montjuïc Stadium has proved a reliable alternative during this period.
The return seems closer with every passing week, but it is difficult to buy into the words of club officials after so many false promises. The expectation is that November could finally be the month the return happens.
Joan Sentelles, the executive overseeing the renovation works at Spotify Camp Nou, offered some insight on a potential return, as quoted by [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20251107/1002565151/barca-fija-dia-concreto-volver-camp-nou.html). He said:
**“The goal is to have it ready for the match against Athletic Bilbao. As soon as we get licence 1B, we’ll open the Lateral stand, and that will give us a capacity similar to the Olympic Stadium. At that point, it won’t make sense to stay there, and we’ll play all our matches here.”**
When asked about the same later, president Joan Laporta preferred to keep his cards close to his chest. He said:
**“If we get licence 1B next week and there are no unforeseen issues, we’ll return as soon as possible. The objective is to have the entire stadium available for 62,000 spectators before the end of the year.”**
The La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao is scheduled for just after the international break on 22 November. However, things never progress seamlessly at Barcelona, and it remains to be seen how long it takes before the club finally return to their permanent home.