This Saturday, Barcelona and Osasuna did not play their match due to force majeure. Hours before the match, the Barça doctor, Dr. Carles Miñarro, died at the team’s hotel. There was no doubt on the part of either club that it was best to postpone the match and not play it at that time. Where there is not so much consensus now is in the choice of date for the match.
It is undoubtedly easier for Osasuna, immersed only in the domestic competition, to find an available date, but it is more complicated for Barça. In principle, there are only two free dates to reschedule the match corresponding to matchday 27 of the league: Thursday, March 27 and Wednesday, May 21.
Barça opts for the second option. Unless a federation rule invalidates it, the week of May 19-25. There is no midweek match, and it could be played on the 21st, which is a Wednesday. Matchday 38 will be concentrated on Sunday the 25th. Osasuna understands that it is taking too long to schedule a match that could adulterate the competition when there could be so many things at stake.
If the match were to be played on the 27th of this month, Barça could have a problem summoning several of their key players. That date coincides just after the international break and before the scheduled matchday for the weekend, number 29.
If the match were to be played then, there are two key players for Hansi Flick who would not be back in time for this league matchday after their international commitments. We are talking about Raphinha and Araujo. The winger faces Brazil on March 26th, so he wouldn’t make it in time. In the case of the central defender, he will play the second match of the international break against Bolivia on the 25th, so he could make it, but it would be very tight after a transoceanic trip.
According to Relevo, the media outlet that has released this information, LaLiga and the RFEF would be more in line with Osasuna than with Barça. They don’t want to wait until the last week of the competition for the match to be played and, unless Barça lose in one of the competitions they are involved in, there are no other options available.