Barcelona are struggling to find a venue for their potential Spanish title decider against Real Madrid in May because of a Rolling Stones concert, and are even considering Wembley Stadium as an alternative venue to host the match.
The Barca board will meet on Tuesday to discuss where to play ‘El Clasico’ in the face of problems both with their temporary home at the Olympic Stadium in the city and their historic Camp Nou stadium currently under renovation.
The second ‘El Clasico’ of the season is scheduled for May 11 and Barcelona had hoped to be back in their revamped ‘Spotify’ Camp Nou by then. But the €1.5billion rebuilding project is running behind and is unlikely to be available.
Barcelona are currently playing home games in the city’s Olympic Stadium as a temporary home but their contract to use it expires at the end of April and any plans to extend it are likely to be scuppered by the venue having other pre-booked events.
The Rolling Stones are due to start their latest European Tour at Barcelona’s Olympic stadium in May and preparation for that, and other planned concerts, would made it hugely problematic to host Real Madrid in the same month.
The visit of Real Madrid is Barcelona’s penultimate home league fixture but if they progress in the Champions League they will also need to find a venue for the semi-final leg also scheduled for May.
If they are unable to play at their temporary home, or in the revamped Camp Nou then will have to look elsewhere and a overseas stadium is understood to be among the options to be discussed in today’s meeting.
With its 90,000 capacity, its prestige, and its place in Barcelona folklore as the stadium where they won their first ever European Cup in 1992 against Sampdoria Wembley has emerged as a possible wild card option.
La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation would look favourably on any official petition from Barcelona to play the game in England. The Spanish League wanted to play what would have been a first ever domestic fixture on foreign soil last December with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid set to be transferred to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium in Dallas.
In the end the involvement of a third-party organizer prevented the backing of the Spanish Football Federation in that December game but sources close to the federation say they would back this plan.
That would still leave the problem of the game’s governing body. FIFA rules state that official league games must be played within the territory of the respective member association, although La Liga has been encouraged by UEFA president Alexander Ceferin’s aspirations to hold a Champions League final in the US one season.