Celta Vigo postpones LaLiga opener after fungus outbreak damages stadium pitch

• Celta Vigo’s LaLiga opener against Osasuna has been postponed because of a fungus outbreak affecting the pitch at Estadio de Balaídos.
• LaLiga and the Spanish federation have rescheduled the match for Aug. 27, despite Osasuna saying the clubs had agreed on alternative dates.
• Osasuna criticised the decision as unacceptable and accused LaLiga and the federation of making another late calendar change without sufficient consultation.

Celta Vigo’s LaLiga opener against Osasuna has been postponed because of a fungus outbreak affecting the pitch at Estadio de Balaídos.

The match was scheduled for Sunday but was called off after LaLiga, the Spanish football federation and both clubs agreed that the condition of the field made the game impossible to stage.

The Spanish federation later confirmed the fixture had been moved to Aug. 27, a decision that Osasuna strongly criticised.

Osasuna said the clubs had agreed to play the match on either Sept. 24 or Sept. 25, allowing both teams to avoid additional congestion during the opening weeks of the season and providing greater recovery time for their players.

The club said LaLiga and the Spanish federation were aware of that agreement but rejected the proposed dates and instead selected Aug. 27.

“The poor condition of the pitch, caused by a fungus, made it impossible to play on the original date despite efforts by the home club, a situation Osasuna understands,” the club said.

“However, neither LaLiga nor the RFEF accepted the clubs’ request and unilaterally decided the match will be played Aug. 27.”

Osasuna argued that the rescheduling decision placed the greater burden on the club that had already been affected by the original postponement.

“In short, the team most affected by the initial postponement for reasons beyond its control is again the most affected by the new schedule,” Osasuna said.

LaLiga officials inspected the Balaídos pitch on Wednesday after concerns grew over the condition of the playing surface.

Celta said LaLiga had already inspected the field the previous week and approved the work being carried out to eradicate the fungus.

“However, the recent weather conditions have adversely affected the pitch’s progress and led to the decision to postpone the match,” Celta said.

The club had been attempting to resolve the issue before the start of the season but was unable to restore the field to a suitable condition in time for Sunday’s fixture.

Osasuna also criticised the timing of the postponement, which came only three days before the scheduled kickoff.

The club said the decision reflected what it described as a recurring pattern of late changes to the Spanish football calendar.

“The decision fits a pattern of last-minute calendar changes that have become all too common due to a lack of foresight and seriousness,” Osasuna said.

The club described the unilateral selection of Aug. 27 as “simply unacceptable and disrespectful.”

Osasuna also expressed frustration that an agreement reached between the two clubs had not been accepted by the league and federation.

“This is not football, it’s La Liga,” the club said.

Celta will now begin their LaLiga campaign later than planned, while Osasuna face an altered schedule after the late postponement.

The fixture is currently set to take place at Balaídos on Aug. 27, with the dispute over the rescheduling decision adding another issue to the opening weekend of the Spanish season.