Barcelona to play LaLiga home opener against Valencia at 6,000-seater training ground

New Delhi: Barcelona will start their home LaLiga campaign in front of just 6,000 fans at their training ground stadium after the renovation of Camp Nou got delayed, leaving Spanish giants effectively homeless. The club on Tuesday announced that they will take on Valencia at the Johan Cruyff Stadium on Sunday, a venue at their Sant Joan Despi training facilities on the outskirts of Barcelona.

The move to host their fourth LaLiga game this season comes after the Camp Nou renovation fell nine months behind schedule, forcing them to find a temporary solution. The league granted Barcelona special permission from the competition rules, which require first-division clubs to have a minimum capacity of 15,000 seats for the matches.

League technicians have spent the last week inspecting the facilities of Johan Cruyff Stadium and demanding necessary adjustments, including VAR camera installations. Barca hoped to return to a reduced-capacity Camp Nou Stadium with 27,000 spectators, but failed to obtain the necessary permissions from Barcelona City Council.

The alternative Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, where they have been holding their matches for the last couple of seasons with the lowest attendance in their recent history, was ruled out after a Post Malone concert left the pitch in poor condition.

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"The Club is working intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of the Spotify Camp Nou stadium in the near future. Therefore, the match will ultimately be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff," the club said in a statement.

The statement further added that the club thanks its members and fans for their understanding and support during the complex yet exciting process of returning to the new Spotify Camp Nou, and they will soon provide information on all details regarding match organisation and ticketing.