Barcelona are facing complications over the venue for their upcoming match against Valencia as Camp Nou will not be ready in time.
The Catalan club’s venue issues are far from over. Their request to play the La Liga clash against Valencia at the opponent’s stadium next month has been rejected by league authorities.
The problem stems from Camp Nou not being ready as expected. Renovations at the stadium have been ongoing for more than two years.
Barcelona are playing their first three La Liga matches of the season away from home. Their fourth-round match against Valencia on September 14 was scheduled at Camp Nou, but the club requested to host it at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium. According to Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, La Liga turned down this request.
Over the past two seasons, Barcelona has played home matches at Montjuïc’s Olympic Stadium. However, they cannot host Valencia there as a concert is scheduled at the same venue that week.
If Camp Nou isn’t ready in time, Barcelona have two alternatives. They can play at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, home to Barcelona’s women’s team, or at Montilivi Stadium, home of city rivals Girona.
Barcelona last played at Camp Nou in May 2023 before extensive renovations began. As part of a jersey and stadium sponsorship deal with audio streaming platform Spotify, the stadium’s name was changed to Spotify Camp Nou.
Initially, Barcelona planned to return in November 2024, but that date has been repeatedly delayed. Earlier this month, the club announced they would return for the Joan Gamper Trophy, but later changed plans and played the August 10 match against Italian club Como at Johan Cruyff Stadium instead.
The renovations are not expected to be fully completed before the 2026-27 season. Barcelona plan to host matches with 50,000 to 60,000 spectators while continuing renovation work during gaps in the schedule.
The season has started well for Barcelona, who have won their first two La Liga matches in their title defense campaign.
