Why Is Barcelona's First Home Game Not At Nou Camp?

Marcus Rashford could play his first location crippled of nan play for Barcelona successful a stadium acold smaller than nan 1 he was expecting.

Despite hopes that Barcelona would statesman nan defence of their title astatine nan recently renovated Nou Camp stadium, they will alternatively play their first location lucifer astatine nan overmuch smaller 6,000-seater Johan Cruyff Stadium.

That is because nan Nou Camp is still not fresh for fans, contempt nan nine saying they would beryllium backmost playing games location successful November 2024, to coincide pinch nan club's 125th anniversary.

The nine had been granted support to play their first 3 fixtures distant from location to let nan completion of building work. But moreover pinch a small other clip acknowledgment to nan world break that followed, nan nine haven't yet obtained documents that let it to open.

The Olympic Stadium, utilized arsenic their substitute location crushed for nan past 2 seasons, is nan venue for a Post Malone performance 2 days earlier nan lucifer – ruling it retired of usage for Sunday.

Barcelona past played astatine nan Nou Camp successful May 2023 – a stadium which could clasp up to 100,000 people. Here, we look astatine what renovations nan nine is making, why it is taking truthful agelong and really fans consciousness astir it.

The Nou Camp has served arsenic Barcelona's location crushed since it opened successful 1957.

Renovation activity began successful June 2023, astatine a costs of astir 1.3bn euros, pinch nan extremity of modernising nan stadium and expanding its capacity to 105,000 - making it 1 of nan largest grounds successful nan world.

But nan Nou Camp is not fresh to big Sunday's La Liga location crippled against Valencia (20:00 BST) - pinch nan move to a overmuch smaller venue only announced connected Tuesday.

The nine said successful a connection that it is moving to get a licence to unfastened nan stadium "in nan coming weeks".

That permit, known arsenic nan Final Construction Certificate, is granted by nan metropolis council.

Reports successful Spanish media propose nan stadium is fresh to beryllium used, pending nan basal clearance.

In nan meantime, utilizing nan 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium - arsenic opposed to a afloat operational Nou Camp, aliases moreover nan 50,000 capacity Olympic Stadium - is going to costs Barcelona a batch of matchday revenue.

"Logically it concerns america much than it worries us," said a nine root regarding nan gross loss.

"But we dream to much than compensate for this inconvenience of reduced income successful nan coming weeks."

The Johan Cruyff Stadium, location venue for Barcelona's women's and younker teams, isn't officially large capable to big a La Liga game. League rules opportunity a crushed must clasp astatine slightest 8,000 fans.

But an objection has been made successful this lawsuit connected "architectural" grounds.

Work has been done to get nan stadium ready, including mounting up camera positions for nan video adjunct referee.

With truthful fewer spaces available, nan nine group up a ballot for tickets - and only those who had held afloat play tickets for some 2023-24 and 2024-25 could participate it.

'That's 16,151 members," according to nan club.

Miquel Taberner, for illustration a batch of Barcelona fans, was unimpressed.

"Most fans consciousness disappointed, and of people I'm 1 of them," he said.

"Camp Nou is not conscionable a stadium, it is nan bosom of nan nine and our matchday acquisition is not nan aforesaid without it. We understand nan activity being done is necessary, but nan absence is powerfully felt.

"Transparency and realistic timelines would thief easiness that frustration, but unluckily group connected nan nine don't consciousness nan aforesaid way."

Valencia - looking to amended connected past season's 12th-place decorativeness - person contacted La Liga to mobility some nan prime of venue and nan lateness of nan switch.

"We were concerned astir nan uncertainty of not having a designated venue successful nan aforesaid week arsenic nan match," nan nine said.

"We person been told from FC Barcelona that we could person 290 tickets for our fans truthful location will yet beryllium Valencia fans successful nan stands."

Valencia striker Diego Lopez, speaking connected Thursday, acknowledged nan business was acold from ideal.

"It's a business that I deliberation should person been resolved a agelong clip ago, not only for nan squad but besides for nan fans," he said. "I deliberation they merit an reply truthful they tin spell and cheer connected nan team."

A Barcelona root told BBC Sport that nan Nou Camp will beryllium fresh to invited fans for their convention lucifer connected 28 September against Real Sociedad.

However, they could not corroborate whether Barcelona would play their adjacent location match, connected 21 September against Getafe, astatine nan Nou Camp.

"We will effort to velocity it up if imaginable but we won't cognize until nan mediate of adjacent week," nan root said.

Fans for illustration Miquel are little optimistic.

"Officially, nan extremity is 2026, but honestly I do foresee a longer view. Large projects often look delays and that's OK. Our expectations are tempered," he said.

"The dream is that whenever it opens, it is delivered to nan highest modular and worthy of nan club's identity."

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