Barcelona have confirmed that their iconic Camp Nou will not be ready to host their upcoming La Liga fixture against Valencia on Sunday, September 14. With construction delays and pending licenses causing significant setbacks, Hansi Flick's men will instead be forced to play at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, the 6,000-capacity ground primarily used by the club's B team and women's side.
Camp Nou still not readyBarca to play at 6,000-capacity groundReturn to main stadium delayedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
This decision comes just five days before their scheduled clash with Valencia, and marks another chapter in a saga of construction woes for the Catalan giants. Despite previously announcing their return to Camp Nou after a lengthy refurbishment, the club has now revealed that security and activity licenses are still not finalised.
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This is not the first time that Barcelona has had to make last-minute venue changes. Originally, the club had planned to host the August 10 pre-season Gamper Trophy match at Camp Nou, but those plans were also abandoned in favour of the Johan Cruyff Stadium, located near the team’s training grounds in Sant Joan Despi.
WHAT BARCELONA SAID
Barcelona issued a statement on Tuesday which read: "FC Barcelona announces that the match corresponding to Matchday 4 of LaLiga, scheduled for Sunday, September 14 at 9:00 p.m. against Valencia CF, will not yet be able to take place at the Spotify Camp Nou. The Club is working intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of the Spotify Camp Nou in the coming weeks. For this reason, the match will instead be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
"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."
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While Barcelona have been playing its home games at Montjuic Olympic Stadium in recent seasons, this venue was unavailable for their upcoming match due to a Post Malone concert scheduled for Friday, September 12. This clash of events forced the club to seek alternative arrangements, with the Johan Cruyff Stadium now becoming the de facto venue. In fact, Barcelona had already signed a rental deal with Montjuic’s management team that will last until February 2026, a temporary but necessary agreement as the club navigates the massive renovations at Camp Nou.
