Barcelona Forced to Emergency Backup Stadium for Season Opener at Home
Barcelona's home opener for the 2025–26 season is scheduled for Sunday evening when they face Valencia at the 6,000-seat Estadi Johan Cruyff.
The fixture against Valencia had been marked as the date when Barcelona would finally return to their iconic Camp Nou stadium. However, the Catalan club's homecoming will need to be postponed further.
Following questions about whether the Camp Nou renovations would be completed on schedule, Barcelona issued an official announcement confirming their decision to stage the Valencia match at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, located adjacent to their training facilities.
"FC Barcelona confirms that the fixture for LaLiga Matchday 4, set for Sunday, September 14 at 9:00 p.m. versus Valencia CF, cannot yet take place at the Spotify Camp Nou," the club's statement read.
"The Club continues working diligently to secure all required administrative approvals for reopening the Spotify Camp Nou in the upcoming weeks. Therefore, this match will be held at the Estadi Johan Cruyff instead."
"FC Barcelona expresses gratitude to its members and supporters for their patience and backing throughout this challenging yet thrilling journey toward returning to the renovated Spotify Camp Nou."
AS indicates that Barcelona city council inspectors examined the Camp Nou on Tuesday and, while acknowledging significant progress in the renovation efforts, determined the venue still fails to satisfy safety standards for accommodating spectators.
Since the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys—Barcelona's temporary home for the previous two campaigns—is unavailable due to a Post Malone performance, the club needed to seek alternative venues for their season opener.
La Liga has provided Barcelona with special authorization to use the Estadi Johan Cruyff despite the venue falling short of standard capacity requirements. La Liga views this as a "temporary single-match solution," though they've mandated that Barça install essential VAR technology, fiber optic infrastructure, and modifications to the field's watering system.
Should Barcelona be unable to return to Camp Nou for their upcoming home encounter against Getafe, that fixture will take place at Montjuic.
While nothing has been finalized, it wouldn't be surprising if Barcelona continues playing home matches at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys through January. This situation represents a significant setback for the club, considering their initial timeline called for a Camp Nou return in autumn 2024.