Club confirmed the decision this week but offered no timeline for a return to their main ground
Barcelona will play their second consecutive La Liga home game at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday, with delays to the reopening of Camp Nou forcing the club to extend their stay at the smaller venue.
The Johan Cruyff Stadium, which usually hosts Barcelona’s women’s and reserve teams, has a capacity of just 6,000. It staged last weekend’s 6-0 victory over Valencia after the club was unable to secure the permits needed to partially reopen the redeveloped Camp Nou.
Barcelona confirmed the latest decision this week but offered no timeline for when they expect to return to their main ground.
“The club continues to work intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of Spotify Camp Nou in the near future,” a statement read.
The €1.5bn renovation of Camp Nou, which began in June 2023, has already stretched into a third season without the men’s first team playing at the stadium.
Originally, the club had planned to reopen part of the ground at a reduced capacity of around 27,000 for the first home match of the campaign, but those plans have been shelved with the construction still ongoing and safety checks outstanding.
Barcelona spent the last two seasons at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Montjuic and have secured it again for this season, but the venue is unavailable in September due to a concert and local festivities of Festes de la Merce. With the Camp Nou project still incomplete, the Johan Cruyff Stadium is serving as a temporary solution.
Season ticket holders who were unable to attend the win over Valencia will be given priority for Sunday’s match against Getafe, according to the club.
However, the restricted capacity has already caused frustration among supporters, many of whom remain in the dark about when they will be able to return to the club’s redeveloped home, and have grown tired of repeated promises by the hierarchy.
