TENIM UN NOM, EL SAP TOTHOM... TORNEM AL CAMP NOU

Today is an intense football day. While Joseph de Ca'th Lon is now in Lyon attending a French Première match, Claire Fontaine and The Grandma have gone to the Camp Nou this afternoon, accompanied by their loved ones, to attend the first match played in this stadium after its remodeling. It has been an afternoon of good football, but above all, of great memories, emotions, and reunions. The Grandma has remembered when Camp Nou was first inaugurated sixty four years ago.

Many thanks to everyone who made it possible!

 

Camp Nou is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia. It has been the home of FC Barcelona since its completion in 1957. It is the largest stadium in Europe and the second largest association football stadium in the world in terms of capacity. It has hosted numerous international matches at a senior level, including a 1982 FIFA World Cup semi-final match, two UEFA Champions League finals and the football competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

The construction of Camp Nou started on 28 March 1954 as Barcelona's previous stadium, Camp de Les Corts, had no room for expansion. Although originally planned to be called Estadi del FC Barcelona, the more popular name Camp Nou was used. The June 1950 signing of László Kubala, regarded as one of Barcelona's greatest players, provided further impetus to the construction of a larger stadium.

The architects were Francesc Mitjans and Josep Soteras, with the collaboration of Lorenzo García-Barbón.

On 28 April 2022, the club confirmed that renovations would begin after the 2022-23 season. Renovation work on the stadium began on 1 June 2023. At that time, Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that the club expected to return by December 2024, when most of the work will be done. Final completion of all renovations is scheduled for June 2026.

On 7 November 2025, the club staged an open training session in front of 21,795 fans.

On 17 November 2025, Barcelona confirmed that it would return to the stadium for its league fixture against Athletic Bilbao on 22 November with a capacity of 45,401 attendees. 

More information: Futbol Club Barcelona Official Site

I wrote every day between the ages 

of 12 and 20 when I stopped 

because I went to Barcelona, 

where life was too exciting to write.

 

 Colm Toibin