Celta Vigo v Osasuna postponed after fungus found in Balaidos pitch

La Liga has officially postponed Celta Vigo’s opening-round match against Osasuna after an inspection found fungus seriously affecting the condition of the pitch at the club’s Balaidos stadium.

The fixture had been scheduled for next Sunday at 21:30. La Liga said the rearranged match will instead be played on Thursday, 27 August, at 20:30.

The decision followed an audit report prepared after league officials spent Wednesday examining the playing surface. Their inspection identified fungus which was having a severe impact on the state of the pitch at Balaidos.

The responsibility for setting the new date now rests solely with La Liga. The league no longer has to wait for a ruling from the Spanish Football Federation, having held full authority to make such scheduling decisions since the middle of last season.

A statement from La Liga said the decision had been made in coordination with the Spanish Football Federation and both clubs.

The postponement is the fourth confirmed change to the opening round of La Liga. The league had already delayed three other fixtures: Valencia v Real Betis, Real Madrid v Real Sociedad and Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao.

La Liga’s opening round is due to begin on Saturday, but the series of postponements means the original schedule will not be completed as planned. Celta Vigo and Osasuna will now meet later in the week, with the revised evening kick-off set for 20:30 on Thursday, 27 August.

The pitch inspection at Balaidos was central to the decision. The league’s report concluded that the fungal problem had significantly compromised the playing surface, prompting officials to remove the match from the original timetable rather than allow the fixture to proceed under unsuitable conditions.

The move also reflects the league’s current authority over fixture scheduling. Since the middle of the previous season, La Liga has been able to determine revised dates directly, while continuing to coordinate its decisions with the Spanish Football Federation and the clubs involved.

No further details were given about the nature of the fungus or how long the work on the Balaidos pitch is expected to take. The immediate consequence is that Celta Vigo and Osasuna must wait until 27 August to begin their respective league campaigns.