Barcelona Club has taken an initial step towards expanding the Johan Cruyff Stadium as part of its future plans to secure an alternative venue for the first team, according to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo."

The newspaper revealed that the club's vice president, Josep Cubells, held a meeting with the mayor of Sant Joan Despí, Belén García, in the presence of Joan Sentiés, the director of the Espai Barcelona project, where he conveyed the club management's desire to increase the stadium's capacity from 6,000 spectators to 10,000.

Barcelona aims to start work on the project to have it ready by the start of the 2027/2028 season, considering the possibility that the first team may need an alternative stadium at the beginning of the season. This coincides with the implementation of the final phase of development works at Spotify Camp Nou, which includes installing the stadium's roof during the summer of 2027.

Although initial estimates suggest that the construction work will last four months, starting from the end of the 2026/2027 season, the club is keen to take precautions early, especially given past experiences of delays in completing work at Spotify Camp Nou.

In a related context, Barcelona does not rule out the option of returning to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc if the Johan Cruyff Stadium proves insufficient for hosting matches. However, this option remains the least preferred due to its high cost compared to preparing the current stadium to accommodate a limited number of matches.

The club is expected to request to play the first three rounds of the 2027/2028 season away from their home stadium, resorting to available alternatives only if the Camp Nou renovations extend beyond the planned timeframe.