Why is Barcelona vs Valencia being played at the Johan Cruyff Stadium

Barcelona take on Valencia in their week four LaLiga match today, Sunday, September 14, but the match will not be taking place at the Camp Nou. Rather it will be held at Barcelona’s second venue: the Johan Cruyff Stadium. The decision comes after LaLiga accepted the smaller, 6,000-seat facility at the Joan Gamper sports complex as an alternative venue.

Why is the Barcelona vs Valencia match not being held at the Camp Nou?

Barcelona had been hoping to hold the game at the Camp Nou, but the club has yet to obtain the necessary permits to reopen the stadium with a temporary capacity of around 27,000. The Camp Nou has been out of action since June 2022, when Barça began a huge renovation project designed to boost commercial revenue. The club had hoped to reopen doors in late 2024 to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary on November 29, but that timeline has slipped constantly.

Given the problems with reopening the Camp Nou, Barcelona has an agreement with the City of Barcelona to use the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys until February 2026. However the stadium in the Montjuïc part of the city is not available for Barcelona vs Valencia as it was used for a Post Malone concert on Friday, September 12, and the pitch is not in suitable condition for a soccer match just two days later.

What is the Johan Cruyff Stadium?

The 6,000-seater Johan Cruyff Stadium is Barcelona’s second venue, located in the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, the club’s training facility and youth academy. It is home to the women’s team, Barcelona Femení, and the men’s reserve team, Barcelona B, and Juvenil A (U19 A team)

The Catalan club had to make certain upgrades before the match against Valencia could be held there. Among the required modifications were the installation of VAR cameras and a proper fiber-optic connection.

Although Johan Cruyff doesn’t meet the standard minimum capacity of 8,000 spectators required by competition regulations, LaLiga is granting an exception in light of “force majeure.”

When will the Camp Nou reopen?

Barcelona had planned for the partial reopening of the Camp Nou for today’s match against Valencia. Obviously that has slipped due to the lack of permits, but the club is hopeful it could be any time soon.

The full reopening, with all tiers (including third/upper tiers), roof, VIP sections, the double VIP ring, and all internal and external works completed is not expected until June 2026, in time for the 2026-27 season.