Barcelona will play their home games at the city's Olympic Stadium during the 2023-24 campaign amid plans to renovate the Camp Nou
The Catalan giants' iconic home is the biggest football ground in Europe - boasting a capacity of 99,354 - but needs to be modernised. Real Madrid are currently renovating the Bernabeu, with work expected to be completed later this year.
Work on the Camp Nou will start in June and is set to be completed during the 2025-26 campaign after Barcelona received a permit. The first stage of the renovation will focus on the first and second tiers, "technological aspects" and the ground's exterior.
The third tier will be demolished in the summer of 2023 and rebuilt, with the ground set to be used at approximately 50 per cent capacity during the 2024-25 season. The Camp Nou will have a roof covering each stand once the "Espai Barca" project is complete.
The ground will also be known as the "Spotify Camp Nou" due to a new partnership between Barcelona and the music streaming service. Spotify's logo will also be on the front of the team's shirts for the next four seasons.
And Barcelona have confirmed sustainability will be "part of the DNA of the new stadium" - with photovoltaic panels plastered across the roof - and there will be a 360-degree screen inside the stadium that offers a "new fan experience".
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Barcelona, who were reportedly more than a £1billion in debt last year and forced to release Lionel Messi, insist they have the funding to afford the project. They also claim it will not cost more than €1.5bn (around £1.27bn) to complete the work.
The Olympic Stadium has a capacity of 60,713. It was initially opened in 1929 before being renovated ahead of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. It last hosted a major football game in September 2008, as England defeated Andorra 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
"Actions inside the Camp Nou will include the demolition of the additional structure in the South Goal zone where the Medical Centre was located, restoration work, anti-carbonation and waterproofing of the stands, as well as structural finishes and the improvement and renovation of retransmission systems," read a statement on Thursday morning.
"In terms of technology, the plan is to install new telecommunications connections, to relocate the data processing centre, to create a technical room for monitoring internal telecommunications infrastructures and to install the new facilities for the TV Compound, for parking of mobile TV units.
"There will also be actions around the stadium, including work on the Lateral Zone car park, the construction of the new smart central storage area, an experiential space for informing members and marketing the project, and the transplantation and conditioning of the trees."
The statement continued: "As president Joan Laporta said a few weeks ago, given the uncertainties generated by the war in Ukraine, especially with regard to the cost and availability of materials, a precautionary principle is to be observed in order to minimise risks and protect next season’s revenue, but with the least possible impact on the works schedule."
