Barcelona's return to the Nou Camp has been further delayed.

Barcelona’s return to the Nou Camp has been delayed again after the city council rejected their request for a crucial permit on Tuesday.

The La Liga champions had planned to host Real Sociedad on Sunday with a reduced capacity of 27,000 fans.

Instead, the match will take place at the 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium on Montjuic hill, where Barca have played during the stadium renovations over the past two seasons.

The club expressed gratitude to members, supporters, and external parties for their patience during this complex and exciting process, and confirmed they are working on the changes requested by the council.

So far, Barcelona have hosted their home games against Valencia and Getafe at the smaller 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, the home ground of their women’s team.

CBI News reports that the city’s fire department cited issues with evacuation routes and other safety concerns as reasons for denying the permit.

However, Barcelona’s operations director Joan Sentelles said during a stadium tour, “Just because it’s not finished doesn’t mean it’s not safe.”

Sentelles also announced that the stadium’s roof installation will be delayed until summer 2027, a year later than originally planned.

Renovation work on the Nou Camp began in June 2023, costing around £1.1 billion, with the aim to modernize the stadium and expand its capacity to 105,000, making it one of the largest stadiums worldwide.

Originally, the club hoped to return by November 2024, coinciding with its 125th anniversary, but that deadline has long passed.