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Barcelona are going through a tough scenario concerning the venue for his or her upcoming UEFA Champions League matches, with the membership at present in the hunt for an answer.
In keeping with stories from MARCA, the problem is additional difficult by the truth that Barcelona will be unable to return to Camp Nou till subsequent season.
To make issues worse, the group will even be unable to play their Champions League fixtures on the Montjuic stadium past the primary part on account of prior commitments made by the Metropolis Council.
What’s the story?
Because it stands, UEFA laws require Barcelona to play all of their remaining Champions League matches in the identical venue.
This creates two potential eventualities for the membership, relying on their efficiency within the group phases. If Barcelona play within the play-offs for a spot within the spherical of 16, they might want to finalize their stadium alternative earlier than the draw on January 31.
Nevertheless, if the group manages to safe a top-eight end, they are going to have extra time to determine, with a deadline to substantiate the venue set for February 21, simply earlier than the spherical of 16 ties start in early March.
What are the choices?
Camp Nou is not going to be prepared in time. (Photograph by David Ramos/Getty Pictures)
The problem lies within the uncertainty of whether or not the Camp Nou might be prepared in time. Essentially the most viable different for Barcelona is the RCDE Stadium in Cornella, residence to their rivals Espanyol.
This 40,000-seater stadium meets all of UEFA’s necessities, however some inside the Barcelona hierarchy are hesitant to play in Espanyol’s residence floor because of the rivalry between the golf equipment.
Different potential choices embrace Mestalla in Valencia and the Metropolitano in Madrid. Mestalla, with a capability of 55,000, is nearer to Barcelona, however the Metropolitano, with a bigger capability of 70,000, affords higher services.
Dialogue with the council
The Barcelona administration is at present in discussions, intently monitoring the progress of the Camp Nou renovations.
The membership’s choice will in the end rely upon the group’s progress within the Champions League group stage and which stadium is on the market to host their remaining fixtures.
It appears unlikely that the Metropolis Council will grant an extension for them to proceed taking part in at Montjuic past the primary part, leaving Barcelona with restricted choices for the place to play their European matches.
