"Barcelona's season was meant to open with a return to their iconic, newly modernized Nou Camp. Instead, as reported by The Times, the club finds itself preparing to host Valencia on Sunday in the modest surroundings of the Estadi Johan Cruyff, a 6,000-seat ground usually reserved for youth and women's fixtures. It is a striking comedown for a club whose identity is so bound up with one of the world's great football cathedrals."
"La Liga rules ordinarily require stadiums to hold a minimum of 8,000 fans, but an exception for "architectural reasons" allowed Barcelona to secure a late reprieve. Even so, officials from the league were dispatched midweek to inspect the venue, reviewing everything from electrics and access points to the installation of VAR cameras and a reliable wi-fi system. Only after these checks was the fixture given the final green light."
Barcelona will host Valencia at the 6,000-seat Estadi Johan Cruyff instead of the renovated Nou Camp. The venue is usually used for youth and women's matches. La Liga rules normally require an 8,000-fan minimum, but an exception for "architectural reasons" allowed a reprieve and league officials inspected electrics, access, VAR cameras and wi‑fi before approving the fixture. The Nou Camp redevelopment is a €1.5 billion project aimed at expanding capacity to 105,000 and boosting match‑day revenue. Repeated timeline shifts and a missing construction certificate from the city council have delayed reopening, making bureaucracy the primary barrier. The club says it is intensively pursuing necessary administrative permits.
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