The last time Barcelona fans sat in the stands of the Nou Camp, they had just watched an Ansu Fati brace put the icing on the cake of a domestic double-winning season.
In the 894 days since, their club has ditched their once-rising star Fati and replaced him with a new hope - Lamine Yamal. They have also added another three trophies to the cabinet and come tantalisingly close to the Champions League final last season.
Yet their iconic stadium, which during that time has been subject to a £1.25billion refurbishment, remains shrouded by cranes as 23,000 fans arrive today to watch the club's stars in an open training session.
The seemingly unfinished nature of the arena - which was initially due to be reopened last November - has not dampened the excitement of the supporters, who quickly sold the event out.
And there is likely to be emotion among the players and coaches too, most of whom have spent of the majority of their time with the LaLiga holders in makeshift grounds across the city.
In fact, it will be a first Nou Camp experience for head coach Hansi Flick, as well as homegrown players such as Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsi. Meanwhile new additions such as Marcus Rashford have visited with opposing teams - but not for Barca.
The session today is serving as a trial-run for upcoming competitive fixtures, though the club have to wait for two licences which are anticipated before the end of the year.
The first license would allow them to hold 45,000 spectators. The second would allow the stadium to be fully operational.
Images from the stadium this morning show swathes of fans descending on the stadium, much of them adorning Yamal merchandise while basking in the sun. They are situated in the stadium's Main Stand and Gol Sud areas.
The return of fans comes just two days after Barcelona news outlets reported that the stadium was being investigated by public health authorities following a worker reportedly being diagnosed with tuberculosis.
It was the latest blow to the redevelopment, which has been hit by numerous delays and problems over the last two-and-a-half years.
After the club missed their initial plan to return last November, further deadlines of February and May this year also slipped. Their plan to stage the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Nou Camp in August was also abandoned.
Further delays occurred with the club having failed to secure the required licences from the city council.
Barcelona have largely played at the Olympic Stadium in the city amid the delays, while a match against Valencia took place at the diminutive Estadi Johan Cruyff, which holds just 6,000 fans.
The works to the stadium are aimed at increasing capacity to 105,000 while adding new corporate facilities and a roof.
Until construction is complete, the Nou Camp will operate at a reduced capacity of around 50,000 to 60,000.
Protests were also held outside the stadium on Tuesday by the workers union, the Confederation Syndicate of Labour Commissions.
The group had alleged construction companies involved in the project have fired 50 workers who do not have 'legal papers' and 'intend to send them back to their country without any guarantees.'
'They've been working twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for over a year in some cases,' Carlos del Barrio, head of Union Action for CCOO del Habitat in Catalonia, told Spanish news agency EFE.
Barcelona has stated that it 'maintains constant collaboration with Limak [the Turkish construction company] to guarantee absolute respect for labor rights and compliance with current legislation in all phases of the project.'
