Barcelona Seek UEFA Permission to Break Champions League Rule Ahead of PSG Game
Barcelona have requested special permission from UEFA to break a Champions League rule ahead of their upcoming game against PSG.
Barcelona will take on defending champions PSG on Wednesday in one of the standout fixtures of the league phase.
Both clubs began their European campaigns with a victory, with Barcelona beating Newcastle 2-1 away from home courtesy of a brace from Marcus Rashford, while PSG thrashed Atalanta 4-0 in Paris.
Tuesday's match will take place at Montjuïc instead of the Nou Camp, with the club's main stadium still undergoing renovation.
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The La Liga champions had hoped to host Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp on Sunday with a reduced capacity of 27,000 - with the full renovation of the stadium not expected to be completed until 2027.
However, the fixture instead took place at the 55,000-seater Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc hill after Barcelona's city council turned down the club's request for an essential permit.
As a result, the match against PSG is also set to take place at Montjuïc - creating a potential problem for the Catalan club in Europe.
UEFA rules state that a club cannot play Champions League league phase home games in more than one venue, potentially preventing a return to the Nou Camp this year.
Article 25 in UEFA's regulations state that: "As of the league phase, a club must in principle play all its matches in the competition at one and the same stadium. Additionally, any change of stadium between the play-offs and the league phase must be agreed in advance with UEFA."
Spanish publication Marca report that Barcelona have submitted a request to UEFA for special permission to break this rule, with the club hoping to return to the Nou Camp following the upcoming international break, which begins on Monday.
Barcelona's next Champions League match after facing PSG is against Greek side Olympiacos on October 21.
Three days earlier, Barca face local rivals Girona in La Liga and while no official venue has been confirmed, the city council has expressed confidence in the match being played at the Nou Camp.
Albert Batlle, Barcelona's Deputy Mayor for Security, said: "We are hopeful that the necessary adjustments will be made and that, from a security perspective, the go-ahead can be given to partially reopen Camp Nou.
"I think the minor issues that existed can be resolved."
Work on the Nou Camp first began in June 2023, at a cost of around £1.1bn.
The stadium's overall capacity is set to be increased to 105,000, making it one of the largest grounds in the world and by far the biggest in Europe.
The original plan was to be back playing games there by November 2024 to coincide with the club's 125th anniversary.
However, repeated delays meant that target was long missed and the final renovation isn't expected to be completed until the summer of 2027.
Topics: Barcelona, Champions League, PSG, UEFA, Football
Rory O'Callaghan