Barcelona's match against Racing de Santander went ahead on Wednesday under a red alert for torrential rain, a decision that contrasted with the suspension of Levante-Athletic in Valencia under an orange alert. The key difference was that the Catalan authorities did not issue an order prohibiting outdoor activities, leaving the final assessment of playing conditions to referee Juan Martínez Munuera Montero.
The procedure for suspending a LaLiga match for meteorological reasons is clear: the clubs' association does not have the power to decide. It is the relevant regional authorities that must issue an explicit prohibition. In the case of Barcelona-Racing, the Generalitat of Catalunya sent an alert to mobile phones at around 9:30 PM, the match's kick-off time, warning of possible torrential rains but without ordering a suspension.
Juan Ramón Cabello, deputy director of Civil Protection for the Generalitat, explained the decision after the match. "We sent the alert warning of possible torrential rains, but they were local rains, which could occur in one part of the city and not another," Cabello said. "It was assessed that, by taking extreme precautions during travel, the match could be maintained. We did not consider it necessary to suspend it."
The referee has the final say
Without a prior ban from the authorities, the power to suspend a match falls to the head referee, who must evaluate conditions on site. While at the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium referee Alejandro Quintero suspended Levante-Athletic after a downpour during the warm-up flooded the tunnel, Munuera Montero at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys considered conditions allowed for play. The storm in Barcelona did not develop with the same intensity as in Valencia, allowing the match, corresponding to one of the early matchdays of the season, to proceed normally.
Cabello added that his department monitored the situation alongside the meteorological service. "If it had been necessary due to the weather service's prediction, or observation, or any incident, then we would have done so and would have specified in detail that the match be suspended," he stated. The mobile emergency alert (Es-Alert) in Valencia was sent at 10:08 PM, nearly forty minutes after the scheduled start time, when the match was already suspended.
This episode recalls last season's Tenerife-Deportivo match, which was suspended because the Tenerife Council decreed a ban on outdoor sports due to strong winds. In that case, LaLiga had to abide by the authorities' decision. The protocol shows that, regardless of the meteorological alert level, it is the authorities who draw the line with concrete orders. Fans can check the team's full schedule and upcoming dates on our fixtures page, where any potential rescheduling will also be reflected. Barcelona continues its preparation for the next league commitment, with the full squad available according to the club's official squad list.
