Barcelona have confirmed that Sunday’s La Liga fixture against Valencia will not be staged at the newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou, with the Estadi Johan Cruyff instead chosen to host the match.
The Catalan club had hoped to mark their return to Camp Nou this weekend after two years of exile at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, but delays in securing the necessary administrative permits have once again forced a change of plans.
A race against time falls short
Before the international break, optimism had grown within the club that the Valencia match could serve as the grand reopening of the Camp Nou. However, despite weeks of intensive work and negotiations, Barcelona ultimately ran out of time.
The Estadi Olímpic — their temporary home since 2023 — was ruled out due to pre-existing logistical issues, leaving the Johan Cruyff Stadium, usually reserved for Barça B and the women’s team, as the only viable option.
“FC Barcelona announces that the match corresponding to Matchday 4 of LaLiga, scheduled for Sunday, September 14 at 9:00 p.m. against Valencia CF, will not yet be able to take place at the Spotify Camp Nou,” read the club’s official statement.
“The Club is working intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of the Spotify Camp Nou in the coming weeks. For this reason, the match will instead be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
“FC Barcelona would like to thank its members and fans for their understanding and support during such a complex yet exciting process as the return to the new Spotify Camp Nou.”
Eyes on Getafe
With Valencia now confirmed for the Johan Cruyff, Barcelona’s next deadline looms large. Club officials are pushing to ensure the required documentation is in place to welcome Getafe to the Spotify Camp Nou the following weekend. Should those efforts also fail, the fallback plan would be a return to the Estadi Olímpic.
That uncertainty is a frustration for fans, who have long awaited the completion of the Camp Nou’s transformation. The €1.5 billion Espai Barça project has been central to Joan Laporta’s presidency, billed as the cornerstone of the club’s future financial stability and global profile.
A symbolic delay
The delays mean that Barcelona’s long-awaited homecoming is pushed back yet again, prolonging what has been a nomadic two-year stretch. While the Johan Cruyff provides a more intimate setting, with a capacity of just 6,000, it is a far cry from the 99,000-seat cauldron that made the Camp Nou world famous.
For supporters, Sunday’s fixture will be another reminder of the scale of the challenge Laporta and his board face in balancing construction deadlines, financial pressures, and the expectations of a global fanbase.
The hope within the club remains that the first-team squad will walk back out at the Camp Nou before the end of September. Until then, Barça must focus on navigating logistical hurdles off the pitch while maintaining momentum on it.
