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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) \u2014 Barcelona returned to its beloved Camp Nou with a resounding 4-0 victory over 10-a-side Athletic Bilbao, sparking homecoming celebrations on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Around 45,000 fans packed into Europe’s largest soccer stadium when it reopened at about half its capacity. Camp Nou has been closed for more than two years for extensive renovations, and the debt-ridden club was hoping for an increase in income.<\/p>\n
Robert Lewandowski decided the course of the match with a goal just four minutes into the match. Ferran Torres added two goals from fellow forward Lamine Yamal’s excellent passes, while Fermin L\u00f3pez scored in his first game at the Camp Nou. Athletic lost Oyhan Sunset to a red card for a dangerous foul on Lopez in the 53rd minute, when the hosts were leading 3-0.<\/p>\n
“We played well from the start and took three more points, but the important thing today is to get back to Camp Nou,” Lewandowski said. “It’s different to play here. I think we’ll be a little stronger when we play at Camp Nou.”<\/p>\n
Despite the cold weather, Barcelona fans sang the club’s anthem before kick-off in a celebratory atmosphere.<\/p>\n
They had a special reason to be happy. The last time I was able to watch a match at Camp Nou was in May 2023. For more than 900 days, Barcelona played its home games at the city’s 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium. The Olympic stadium was located on a hill overlooking the city that was difficult to access.<\/p>\n
Carlos Narv\u00e1ez, a 36-year-old fan, said: “It’s been two years since I came (to the Olympic Stadium) and it wasn’t easy, the atmosphere was different and it was clearly not Camp Nou.” “This is like coming home. I’m sure the players feel that way as well as us fans. You can see how excited everyone is.”<\/p>\n
To make the day more than just a home game, the club lit blue and burgundy smoke a few minutes before kickoff.<\/p>\n
But returning home aside, there is still significant work to be done before the new Camp Nou is completed and can accommodate 105,000 fans.<\/p>\n
The top level of Camp Nou remains mostly a skeleton of metal and concrete beams and columns. Huge construction cranes tower over the stadium and can be seen from the stands, with some areas looking like construction sites.<\/p>\n
Jo\u00e3o Garcia started in goal and Rafinha came on as a late substitute, with both players playing the first few minutes after recovering from foot injuries that had sidelined them for nearly two months.<\/p>\n
The win puts Barcelona level on points with Real Madrid and tops the table until Madrid visit Elche on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Next up for Barcelona is a trip to London to face Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Delays and deadlines<\/h2>\n
Renovation works at Camp Nou began in June 2023 with the aim of restoring, modernizing and expanding the venue, which previously had a capacity of 99,000 people. secured by the club 1.45 billion euros<\/span> It raised funds ($1.6 billion at the time) from multiple investors to work on the renovation project.<\/p>\nBarcelona had originally planned to resume matches at Camp Nou as early as November 2024, to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary. The date has been postponed a number of times, but the club has not said at this time when work on the stadium is expected to be completed. The club said it will seek permission from authorities to increase seating as work progresses.<\/p>\n
More than 20,000 fans attended the game earlier this month. Barcelona’s first training session<\/span> I returned to Camp Nou.<\/p>\nBarcelona also received approval from UEFA this week. Sponsored by Eintracht Frankfurt<\/span> At the Camp Nou on December 9th<\/p>\n___<\/p>\n
AP video journalist Hern\u00e1n M\u00fa\u00f1oz contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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