Not in the Champions League - UEFA rejects Barcelona's special request

The club is making a significant effort to reopen the stadium under the so-called "first phase" of construction, which would allow them to welcome back fans as soon as possible. However, the reality is that the chances of this happening on schedule remain slim.

If the necessary permits are not obtained quickly, Barça's first home league match of the season – against Valencia on September 14th – may have to be played behind closed doors, a scenario the club is desperate to avoid.

According to TV3, via Sportal, the Catalan club contacted European football's governing body in mid-July, asking to avoid a home fixture in their first European clash due to ongoing renovation work at Camp Nou. UEFA justified its decision by stating that such requests have never been granted in the past.

This means the Blaugrana will have to wait until the group stage draw on August 28th to see if luck is on their side.

If the draw hands Barcelona an away fixture, Hansi Flick's side will start their campaign on the road between September 16th and 18th, with their European debut at the renovated Camp Nou taking place on either September 30th or October 1st.

Crucially, UEFA requires clubs to host all their matches during the league phase at the same stadium, meaning Barça cannot start at one venue and later move to another.

Meanwhile, La Liga did grant the champions' wish to play their first three league matches of the new season away from home, giving them more time to work on Camp Nou.

The renovation process is still incomplete, with two of the stands yet to meet the necessary safety standards.

Meanwhile, Barcelona started the new La Liga season with a comfortable 3-0 win over Mallorca at the weekend.