Laporta confirms Barca will play at former home of rivals Espanyol!

It is now official. Barcelona will play their home matches at the Montjuic stadium in Barcelona, Laporta confirmed in an event with the city council on Tuesday morning. 

"FC Barcelona will play at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in the 2023-24 season during the redevelopment as part of the Espai Barca project," the Barca president said. 

City rivals Espanyol held their games at the Montjuic between 1997 and 2009 until they moved into their new RCDE stadium on the outskirts of Barcelona. 

The redevelopment of the Camp Nou will begin during the 2022-23 campaign, but they will not prevent Xavi Hernandez's side from playing at the Camp Nou next term. They will not move to the Montjuic until summer 2023. 

"It's an iconic stadium from the Barcelona Olympics (held in 1992), an international reference for the city," Laporta said about the Lluis Companys stadium, which has a capacity of 55,000. 

"Barca have promised to improve the Olympic facilities, modernise the facilities and other areas such as the press stand, the dressing rooms and an area for internal parking," Laporta announced.