Barcelona blocked from expanding Spotify Camp Nou capacity for Atlético Copa del Rey clash
Barcelona's city council has refused to greenlight phase 1C of the Spotify Camp Nou renovation, capping the Atlético Madrid Copa del Rey tie at just 45,000 fans.
Barcelona’s hopes of packing out the Spotify Camp Nou for their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg have been well and truly dashed — and it’s the city council, not the opposition, who’ve done the damage.
The block that hurts
Barcelona needed the Ajuntament de Barcelona to approve the activation of phase 1C of their ongoing stadium works, which would have bumped capacity up to around 62,000. Instead, they’ve been knocked back, and the tie against Atlético de Madrid will go ahead in front of just 45,000 supporters — the same figure the club have been working with since competitive football returned to the ground.
To put that in context, Barça are already staring down the barrel of a 4-0 deficit from the first leg at the Metropolitano. They needed every bit of noise and atmosphere they could muster. Getting another 17,000 bodies through the turnstiles would’ve made a real difference.
What phase 1C actually means
The specific section in question is the Gol Norte — the north goal end of the stadium, which currently sits empty on matchdays. Unlocking it would have been a significant step forward in the ground’s phased reopening. But it’s not happening anytime soon, at least not for this one.
- The club originally wanted phase 1C ready for the Levante match last weekend — didn’t happen
- Then they hoped for the Villarreal game on Saturday — also a no
- The Atlético tie was the last realistic shot — now officially ruled out
So when does it open?
That’s the question now. Barcelona’s next home fixture is 15 March against Sevilla — which also happens to be the same day as club elections, so there’s plenty going on there already. But the bigger date circled in the diary is 18 March, when Barça host the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Their opponent is still to be confirmed — it’ll be either Newcastle or PSG.
If the club can get the Ajuntament to move before then, opening the Gol Norte for a Champions League knockout night would be some moment. But given the pace things are moving, don’t hold your breath.
The bigger picture
This is a frustrating little subplot to what’s already a chaotic period for the club. They’re chasing a historic treble while operating out of a half-finished stadium, navigating local bureaucracy, and trying to overturn a four-goal deficit in the Copa. It’s a lot.
The 45,000 who do get in for the Atlético game will need to be absolutely electric. Because on the pitch, Barça are going to need a miracle — and they could’ve done with a bit more help off it too.