BARCELONA: Barcelona’s next Champions League match at home will be at the renovated Camp Nou stadium with partial capacity.
The club said Wednesday they will host Eintracht Frankfurt at the venue on Dec. 9 in the league phase of the European competition. About 45,000 tickets are expected to be available.
Barcelona said UEFA accepted the team’s request to return to the Camp Nou, “considering that all necessary requirements have been met.”
The club needed an exemption from European soccer’s governing body as regulations state that teams must use the same stadium for all four home games in the league phase.
“Barcelona are pleased to be able to compete again at their stadium and to continue advancing in the comprehensive transformation project of the new Spotify Camp Nou,” the club said.
On Monday, Barcelona announced their Spanish league game against Athletic Bilbao, on Saturday, will be their first at the Camp Nou since they began upgrading the stadium in June 2023 to expand capacity in Europe’s largest soccer venue from 99,000 to 105,000.
Only 45,401 fans will be allowed in against Athletic.
More than 20,000 fans paid to watch the team practice at the Camp Nou on Nov. 7.
The highly indebted club secured 1.45 billion euros (then $1.6 billion) from multiple investors to undertake the project.
Barcelona had originally planned to be back playing at the venue as early as November 2024 to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary. The team have played at the municipally owned 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium since the start of the 2023-24 season.
Another delay this summer led to the club scrambling to hold a Spanish league game at the 6,000-seat stadium located on their training grounds on the outskirts of the city in September.
UEFA approves Barcelona’s Camp Nou return for Champions League game against Frankfurt
https://arab.news/nnvr9
UEFA approves Barcelona’s Camp Nou return for Champions League game against Frankfurt
- The club said Wednesday they will host Eintracht Frankfurt at the venue on Dec. 9
- The club needed an exemption from European soccer’s governing body
Man City held by Solanke stunner, Sesko delivers ‘best feeling’ for Man Utd
- Solanke’s absence for most of the season due to injury has played a major part in Spurs’ struggles
ONDON: Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge hit a fresh stumbling block as Dominic Solanke’s acrobatic strike salvaged a 2-2 draw for struggling Tottenham on Sunday, while Benjamin Sesko secured another thrilling 3-2 win for Manchester United over Fulham.
City were cruising toward what would have been another damaging defeat for Spurs boss Thomas Frank as they led 2-0 at half-time.
But Solanke scored twice in the second half to leave Pep Guardiola’s men six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
City have won just one of their six league games in 2026 to allow the Gunners to move closer to a first title in 22 years.
“We haven’t had the consistency to win the games when others were able to do it,” said Guardiola.
Rayan Cherki fired the visitors into an early lead and was only denied a spectacular second by a brilliant Guglielmo Vicario save.
Antoine Semenyo did double City’s advantage before the break to spark uproar from the furious Spurs support at half-time.
However, Tottenham flipped the script in the second period to give Frank some breathing space.
Solanke’s absence for most of the season due to injury has played a major part in Spurs’ struggles.
The England international’s finish from close range halved the deficit before he produced a stunning moment of athleticism to hook the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma with a scorpion kick.
Sesko rides to Man Utd rescue
A third consecutive win since Michael Carrick took the reins at Old Trafford propelled United back into the top four at the expense of Chelsea and Liverpool.
A week on from a 3-2 win at Arsenal, it was another throwback to United’s glory days during Carrick’s playing career as they snatched victory in dramatic fashion after a Fulham fightback.
Goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha either side of half-time put United in command.
Just a second defeat in nine league games dealt a blow to Fulham’s own hopes of European football next season.
The visitors showed plenty of fight as Raul Jimenez’s penalty five minutes from time began a frantic finale before Kevin’s spectacular strike looked to have salvaged a point.
But United went straight down the other end and Sesko spun onto Bruno Fernandes’ pass before blasting into the top corner.
“It’s the best feeling I have to say,” Carrick said.
“Some of the best moments I’ve been part of here, you can dissect performances and there are plusses and not, and then you get a moment of elation and excitement like that.”
Villa’s title dreams fade
To cap a fine day for Arsenal, third-placed Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 at home by 10-man Brentford to remain seven points off the top.
Kevin Schade was sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash on 42 minutes.
But in first-half stoppage time, the Bees took the lead when Dango Ouattara blasted in from a narrow angle.
Villa laid seige to the Brentford goal after the break but lacked the invention to break the visitors down.
Tammy Abraham did have the ball in the net but was denied a debut goal on his return to Villa after a VAR review found the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.
Crystal Palace also failed to make the most of a man advantage in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s early strike put Forest in front, but Neco Williams’ decision to punch the ball clear off his own goal-line just before half-time was the break the visitors needed.
Ismaila Sarr netted from the penalty spot after Williams was shown a red card.
However, Palace failed to end their 12-game wait for a win and remain just three points above Forest and nine clear of the bottom three.










