Barcelona are set to welcome increased supporter numbers back to Camp Nou at the end of January.
The Catalan giants recently made their long-awaited return to the ground earlier this month, when they smashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in La Liga.
Hansi Flick's side then made the Champions League trip to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where Estevao stole the show over Lamine Yamal, with the Blues winning 3-0.
Following that sobering loss in London, Barca returned to Camp Nou on Saturday afternoon, when the next stage of the redevelopment came to fruition.
Just under 45,000 spectators were in attendance as the Spanish giants recorded a 3-1 success over a plucky Deportivo Alaves outfit.
When will Camp Nou's capacity increase again?
After going through Phase 1A and Phase 1B of the plans successfully, Barcelona are now looking to welcome back even more supporters in the near future.
Questioned about getting more fans back in their seats for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign, Barca president Joan Laporta provided an insightful response.
“I’m the first one who wants to have the supporters’ section up and running, but we still don’t have the permit to do so,” explained Laporta via Barca Universal.
“If there are no unforeseen circumstances, we’ll have it by the end of the month,” the president claimed.
What is Phase 1C for Camp Nou?
Slowly bringing attendance numbers up to 45,000 in November, Barcelona will aim to make a massive step up in the New Year, with the permit for Phase 1C allowing around 62,000 fans into the stadium.
This permit would see the opening of the North Stand and a dedicated supporters' cheering section for the hardcore fans of Flick's troops.
The last time such numbers were present for a Barcelona match at this venue was at the conclusion of the 2022-23 term.
Waiting game for Barca
Given that they will not get the permit for Phase 1C before the end of December, home matches against Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and Osasuna will be played in front of 45,000 people.
There is the possibility that the venue is ready to host 62,000 supporters during Barca's Spanish Super Cup clash on January 7 with Athletic Bilbao, who lost heavily at Camp Nou in November.
However, it is more likely that the Spanish giants will need to wait until January 25 to unleash Phase 1C, with Real Oviedo the visitors in La Liga.
FGG says: Slow progress
After two seasons away from their iconic home, it is great to see Barcelona back at Camp Nou, albeit with small attendances figures by their standards.
However, this update from club president Laporta provides hopes that Barca fans can start packing the stands of the venue in the near future.