Barcelona to play LaLiga match at 6,000-seat training ground stadium after fresh Nou Camp delay | OneFootball

The club have been unable to obtain council permission to play at their usual home ground

Barcelona will play their first home LaLiga match of the season in a 6,000-capacity stadium at their training ground after a fresh delay to Nou Camp renovations.

They had hoped to play at the Nou Camp with a reduced capacity, but could not obtain permission from the Barcelona City Council.

Improvements pending: The Nou Camp remains under construction

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The Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, where they played home matches last season, was also considered an option, though a Post Malone concert has rendered the pitch unusable.

Instead, Barcelona will stage their home opener against Valencia at the Estadi Johan Cruyff in front of a modest crowd of just 6,000.

The stadium, the traditional home of Barcelona’s women’s and academy sides, is situated on the outskirts of the city at the Sant Joan Despi training ground.

LaLiga officials inspected the ground in midweek and mandated certain upgrades, including the installation of VAR cameras.

Chelsea suffered a 4-1 UWCL loss to Barcelona at the Estadi Johan Cruyff last season

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Barcelona said in a statement: “The Club is working intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of the Spotify Camp Nou stadium in the near future. Therefore, the match will ultimately be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

"FC Barcelona thanks its members and fans for their understanding and support during the complex yet exciting process of returning to the new Spotify Camp Nou. The Club will soon provide information on all details regarding match organisation and ticketing.”

The Nou Camp is in the midst of a comprehensive £1.25billion renovation, which will see its capacity increase to 105,000.

It remains unclear how long Barcelona will be based out of the Estadi Johan Cruyff.