FC Barcelona’s return to home turf for the 2025/26 La Liga season has been a saga marked by delays and uncertainty.
With the Spotify Camp Nou still awaiting necessary permits and licenses, the club has been forced to explore alternative venues for its first home match of the season against Valencia on September 14.
The Blaugrana, who have already secured seven points from their opening three away games, are eager to play in front of their fans, but logistical challenges have kept the iconic Camp Nou out of reach.
In a significant development, La Liga has approved the use of Estadi Johan Cruyff, Barcelona’s reserve team stadium, to host the upcoming Valencia clash, according to Catalunya Radio.
This decision comes as a relief for the club, which faced uncertainty due to the smaller capacity of the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper venue.
With a capacity of just 6,000, Estadi Johan Cruyff falls short of La Liga’s 8,000-seat minimum requirement.
However, the league, under Javier Tebas, has made an exception given the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Barcelona’s stadium situation.
The approval is not without its challenges.
To meet La Liga’s standards, Estadi Johan Cruyff requires upgrades, particularly to its VAR system.
While the stadium is equipped with a ‘low-cost’ VAR used in Liga F and the Women’s Champions League, additional cameras are needed to comply with La Liga’s requirements, including semi-automatic offside technology.
The estimated cost for these upgrades is around €70,000, a sum Barcelona is prepared to invest to ensure the match can proceed as planned.
This temporary move to Estadi Johan Cruyff highlights Barcelona’s adaptability amid ongoing delays with Spotify Camp Nou.
As the club works toward returning to its iconic stadium, this La Liga approval ensures the show goes on for the highly anticipated Valencia encounter.
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