Osasuna unhappy after fungus outbreak on field postpones league opener vs Celta Vigo

MADRID (AP) — Celta Vigo postponed its La Liga opener against Osasuna because of a fungus outbreak on the field of its stadium Thursday.

La Liga said both clubs and the Spanish soccer federation agreed to the postponement of Sunday’s game because of an “illness that has affected the stadium’s pitch.”

Osasuna, though, later released a statement saying it did not agree with the new date set for the match, Aug. 27, as it went against its interests and voided “a previous agreement between both clubs.”

Osasuna said both clubs agreed to play on either Sept. 24 or Sept. 25, during the international break, which would not overload either team’s schedule and would allow for player recovery early in the season.

“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 said. “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 both La Liga and the Spanish federation were aware of the agreement between the clubs.

League officials inspected the Estadio de Balaidos field on Wednesday.

Celta said La Liga had already inspected the field last week and validated the work that was being carried out to eradicate the disease affecting the field.

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

Osasuna also criticized the league and the federation for postponing the match just three days before kickoff, saying the decision “fits a pattern of last-minute calendar changes that have become all too common due to a lack of foresight and seriousness.”

It said the unilateral decision for a new date was “simply unacceptable and disrespectful.”

“This is not football — it’s La Liga,” Osasuna said.

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