Barcelona are seeking to extend their lease at the Olympic Stadium until the end of May, ensuring they have a venue for their crucial El Clásico match against Real Madrid and final home games of the season. The extension request comes as renovation work at the Spotify Camp Nou continues to experience delays.
The Catalan club, which has been playing their home matches at the Olympic Stadium since 2023, originally planned to return to Camp Nou last November. However, they recently confirmed that the return would be postponed until at least May due to ongoing construction work. With their current lease at the Olympic Stadium set to expire at the end of April, the club faced potential complications for their remaining home fixtures.
The lease extension was previously complicated by scheduled Rolling Stones concerts at the venue. However, with those concerts now postponed, Barcelona has an opportunity to secure the stadium for their remaining matches. This development effectively ends speculation about the possibility of playing the Clásico abroad, which had been suggested in various reports.
Barcelona are scheduled to host Real Madrid on May 11, followed by a match against Villarreal on May 18, although these dates are subject to confirmation. In a statement, the club emphasized that while they are seeking the lease extension as a contingency, their "main priority is to play games towards the end of this season at Camp Nou."
When Barcelona eventually returns to Camp Nou, the stadium will initially operate at a reduced capacity of around 60,000 spectators as renovation work continues. The complete renovation is expected to be finished by summer 2026, at which point the stadium will boast Europe's largest capacity at approximately 105,000.
In other club news, Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad has confirmed the signing of Barcelona's attacking midfielder Unai Hernández for an initial fee of €4.5 million ($4.7m), with potential add-ons worth €500,000. Hernández, whose contract was due to expire this summer, has been impressive for Barcelona's reserve team this season, scoring nine goals in 20 appearances in Spain's third tier.
