Barca's Nou Camp return delayed after permit denied

Barcelona's return to the Nou Camp has been further delayed after the city council turned down their request for an essential permit on Tuesday.

The La Liga champions were hoping to host Real Sociedad in the league on Sunday with a reduced capacity of 27,000.

Instead, the fixture will be at the 55,000-seater Olympic Stadium on the city's Montjuic hill, where Barca have played for the previous two seasons during the renovation work.

The club thanked members and supporters, external "for their understanding and support during such a complex and exciting process", and said they were working on the amendments given by the council.

Barcelona have played their two home games against Valencia and Getafe at the much smaller 6,000-capacity Johan Cryuff Stadium, home to their women's team.

The city's fire department said there were problems with evacuation routes, among other safety issues.

However, the Barca's operations director Joan Sentelles told reporters during a tour of the stadium on Tuesday: "Just because it's not finished, doesn't mean it's not safe."

Sentelles also said the roof will be put on the stadium in the summer of 2027, a year later than originally planned.

Work on the Nou Camp began in June 2023, at a cost of about £1.1bn, with the goal of modernising the stadium and expanding its capacity to 105,000 - making it one of the largest grounds in the world.

The plan was to be back playing games there in November 2024, to coincide with the club's 125th anniversary, but that target has long since past.

Laia Bonet, Barcelona's deputy mayor, said the city council must guarantee the safety of everyone who wants to go to the stadium. "This is the priority," she added.