Barça forced to delay its return to Camp Nou once again: it announces it will not play at the Gamper Stadium, jeopardizing the start of La Liga.

Timelines have been a headache for Barça since the Camp Nou renovation began. They had hoped to play in their new stadium at some point last season, something that didn't happen. They had hoped to debut the new turf at the Joan Gamper Trophy next August, but this Friday they confirmed that that won't be possible either. And rumors suggest they're already considering the option of starting the La Liga season at Montjuïc, because a license hasn't been forthcoming.

The club announced early Friday afternoon that it was canceling the match that would mark the team's return to the Camp Nou. The match, announced with great fanfare and a roster on June 25, is against Italian side Como (the team coached by Cesc Fàbregas).

According to the club's own statement, the match will not be played at Camp Nou "because the execution of the works to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance Regulating Municipal Intervention Procedures for Construction has made it impossible to complete the necessary procedures for granting the first occupancy license." In short, they do not have the first occupancy license from the City Council.

In this regard, the club has stated that its intention was to reopen the Camp Nou in sections, but that "due to the scale of the work being carried out," it has been "impossible" to meet all the requirements established by the regulations governing obtaining a first occupancy license, Efe reports.

Therefore, despite having proposed to Barcelona City Council that the Gamper Stadium be played with a capacity of around 30,000, they have had no choice but to postpone the date of the (partial) opening of the new stadium. A delay that, they have assured, "does not affect the payment schedule for the repayment of the Espai Barça debt."

Barça continues: "The club is working closely with Barcelona City Council and the relevant organizations to advance the various requirements, and will communicate any new information regarding the return date to FC Barcelona members," the statement concludes.

Once again, the planned schedule is in jeopardy. The club's intention was to start La Liga in its new stadium with approximately 60% capacity for the match against Valencia on September 14. However, Barça itself, according to Mundo Deportivo, is already considering the option of returning to Montjuïc while everything is sorted out. It has until mid-August to inform La Liga and UEFA where it will begin its competitions.