10th September 2025
September 10 – FC Barcelona have been forced switched their La Liga match versus Valencia on Saturday to their 6,000-seater training ground – extending the 30-month wait to return to the new-look Spotify Camp Nou, which is as visually impressive as it is useless in its current state.
With just 6% of the proposed capacity of the finished Camp Nou, a return to the Estadi Johan Cruyff is hardly the opening expected for the first home game of the reigning champions.
The problem is Barça’s iconic cathedral of football still doesn’t have the Final Construction Certificate needed to satisfy its occupancy licence as set by the council.
LaLiga had given the club permission to play their first three fixtures away from home in order to complete the first phase of construction work at their stadium, and that was followed by the international break.
The hiccup has come because the club were still unable to land the permits in time for Saturday’s clash with Valencia, leaving a public deadline unmet for the third time – it originally set an opening date of November 2024.
Coming up to the one-year anniversary of its proposed opening date, the club had been hosting games at the 55,000-capacity Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
The plan was to shift straight over to the Camp Nou in time for Saturday, but a contingency agreement has been reached with the city council just in case granting Barcelona access to the Olympic Stadium until February.
The Olympic Stadium has also been registered provisionally for the Champions League this year, although that can be changed should the Camp Nou be ready at any point in the current season.
Barca’s usual backup plan is taken by a Post Malone concert on Friday night, meaning the La Liga holders will have to slum it at the training ground.
A short statement, released on Tuesday to the club’s website, said Barcelona were “working intensely” to get the permits to be able to open the Camp Nou, and thanked supporters for their patience and understanding, but offered no further detail. The club said they would inform supporters about ticketing and access.
La Liga has already nodded its approval, on the condition that VAR cameras are installed, fibre optic lines are laid down to prevent technical glitches, and the irrigation system is double-checked to meet the league’s standards.
For a club priding itself on grandeur, Barcelona suddenly looks like a tenant bouncing between temporary addresses. Camp Nou’s return is still wrapped in red tape, fans are left twisting, and the much-needed revenue from a 100,000+ mega arena is still but a pipe dream.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [moc.l1757501610labto1757501610ofdlr1757501610owedi1757501610sni@g1757501610niwe.1757501610yrrah1757501610](javascript:;)