Barcelona, the defending La Liga champions, had planned to face Real Sociedad on Sunday in front of a reduced crowd of 27,000 fans, but their request to return to the Nou Camp was turned down by the city council. The match will now be played at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc hill, which holds 55,000 spectators.
The club thanked their supporters for their understanding and continued support.
The city’s fire department has reported safety issues, but Joan Sentelles, Barça’s director of operations, told reporters: “Just because it’s not finished doesn’t mean it’s not safe.”
The Johan Cruyff Stadium, where their women’s team plays, hosted their home matches against Valencia and Getafe. It is a small stadium with a capacity of 6,000.
Barcelona aimed to modernise the stadium and increase its seating capacity to 105,000. For these two reasons, the club began the project to revamp the Nou Camp in mid-2023.
The club had hoped to return to their home ground in November 2024, to coincide with their 125th anniversary, but the work could not be completed in time.
The Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Laia Bonet, said the city council must focus on ensuring that every spectator attending the match is safe. “This is the priority,” she said.
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