Barcelona will play their first home game of the season at their training ground as renovation delays continue to prevent the reopening of Camp Nou, Afrosport reports.
The Spanish champions on Tuesday announced that Sunday’s La Liga match against Valencia will be played at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium – home to their women’s team.
The Catalan club were eyeing a return to their iconic ground, hoping to play in front of a reduced crowd while ongoing renovation work continues. However, they are yet to secure the necessary authorisations to welcome fans back to the partially completed stadium.
“The Club is working intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of the Spotify Camp Nou in the coming weeks,” the club said in a statement.
“FC Barcelona would like to thank its members and fans for their understanding and support during such a complex yet exciting process as the return to the new Spotify Camp Nou. The Club will provide further details soon regarding the organization of the match and ticketing procedures.”
Barcelona originally closed Camp Nou for renovations at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, with plans to partially reopen by November 2024. They had hoped for an earlier return to the stadium but delays in construction and licensing pushed the timeline further back.
The club adopted the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium for their home games until the end of last season. However, a Post Malone concert held at the ground on Friday ruled it out for this weekend’s match, forcing Barcelona into making another temporary arrangement.
Meanwhile, the cost of the full Camp Nou rebuild is reportedly estimated at €1.5 billion, with completion scheduled for 2026.
Hansi Flick’s side dropped their first points of the season following a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on 31 August. They will be hoping to get back to winning ways against a Valencia side that cruised to a 3-0 win over Getafe in their last match.
