Strong Wind Damages Barcelona Training Ground Ahead of Copa del Rey Semi-final against Atletico
Barcelona's training ground suffered structural damage on Thursday, February 12, 2026, local time, ahead of the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano, Friday, February 13, 2026, early morning WIB.
Renovation work at Camp Nou was also partially halted and the team was forced to leave for Madrid early due to strong winds hitting Catalonia.
A wall at the Blaugrana's Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, which borders a public road, collapsed after the surrounding fence collapsed.
Barcelona said no one was hurt by the damage, with the area secured, roads closed, and work underway to repair the wall and fence.
"Due to strong winds, the training ground suffered structural damage, including the collapse of part of the wall and the fence on Francesc Macia Street, in the area between Field 3 and the women's main team training area."
"There were no reports of personal injuries. The team has arrived at the location to ensure the safety of the affected area and to conduct an initial assessment of the damage."
"As a result of this incident, the affected section of the road will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians until further notice, solely for safety reasons," said Barcelona.
Construction work on the outside of Camp Nou, which is not expected to be completed until at least the end of 2027, had to be halted for the day for safety reasons. Work continues inside the stadium.
Barcelona originally planned to return to Camp Nou in 2024 before finally moving back at the end of last year after some delays in renovations.
They are currently playing to a limited capacity of around 45,000, with the stand behind one goal still empty, but hope to soon receive permission to open it, which would increase the crowd to more than 62,000.
When the work is complete, with the club recently saying it will be by the end of 2027, the capacity will reach 105,000.
Meanwhile, the forecast of extreme strong winds has forced Barcelona to change their plans for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
Hansi Flick's squad finally flew to Madrid a day earlier on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, in order to avoid the effects of bad weather.
The decision proved correct on Thursday as many planes and trains departing from Barcelona were cancelled due to strong winds, with the ACN news agency reporting gusts of more than 100 km/h (62 mph).
As of midday, more than 60 people were injured in weather-related incidents, with more than 20 people hospitalized, while buildings and trees around the city were damaged.
Barcelona's training ground, located in Sant Joan Despi on the outskirts of the city, was one of the places affected, as the club confirmed later on Thursday.
Barcelona landed in Madrid after midnight on Wednesday, after initially planning to fly on Thursday, for the match against Atletico.
As a result, the Blaugrana lost 0-4 to Atletico. They tried to catch up with the deficit in the second leg of the Copa del Rey when playing at Camp Nou on March 3, 2026.