BARCELONA are preparing to host LaLiga rivals Valencia at a “forbidden” stadium.
It comes with their usual home, the Nou Camp, still undergoing a £1.25billion revamp – long after the originally planned reopening date in November 2024.
GettyBarcelona are set to host Valencia at the Johan Cruyff Stadium[/caption]
SPORT.ESWorkers were seen installing LaLiga rule compliant VAR cameras at the ground[/caption]
SPORT.ESThe league will make a special grant for the club to host the game there[/caption]
GettyThat is because the 6,000 capacity is far below the usual league requirements of 15,000[/caption]
The planned 105,000-seater stadium is still FAR from finished, with its upper tier still a building site.
But Barca had hoped to get the lower areas completed in time to host games from the start of this season.
The LaLiga champions were given special permission by league chiefs to play their first three games away from home.
Now Barcelona are due to host Valencia on Sunday night.
But their iconic ground still has not been given a safety permit to stage the game.
Barca have spent the last two seasons playing at the city’s 55,000-seater Olympic stadium.
However, the ground is unavailable for this weekend’s clash, meaning the Valencia clash will instead be played at Barca’s Women’s and B-team venue, the Johan Cruyff Stadium – which seats just 6,000 fans.
Pictures from inside the ground showed workers frantically installing VAR cameras and a new fibre connection in line with LaLiga regulations.
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The ground is so small that chiefs will have to grant Barcelona special permission to play the game at the stadium.
That’s because league rules state stadium capacities must be at least 15,000.
AFPThe Camp Nou is still undergoing major construction works and will not be fully completed for another season at least[/caption]
The Nou Camp is still missing its whole top tier
The ground has already hosted one men’s game this season, with the pre-season Joan Gamper Trophy against Como being played there a month ago.
Barcelona will need to be granted a First Occupation License by the Barcelona City Council to host games at the Camp Nou again.
Work on the stadium is now not due to be completed in full until the start of the 2026/27 season, when the Camp Nou will have a mega-capacity of 105,000.
But when it reopens before then, the capacity is expected to be capped at around 20,000 to 30,000.
Hansi Flick’s defending Spanish title champions were unbeaten before the international break, with two wins and a draw on the road.
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