Arsenal women’s game v Barcelona moved due to strikes

The fixture at Camp Nou has been shifted after Barcelona raised concerns about staging the match on the original date.

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Arsenal Women‘s Champions League match away to Barcelona has been moved back by one day because of a planned general strike in Spain.

The fixture was due to be played on Wednesday, November 11, but will now take place on Thursday, November 12.

The venue remains Camp Nou, with kick-off unchanged at 6.45pm local time, 5.45pm in the UK.

Arsenal confirmed the rearrangement on Wednesday morning.

The change has been made because a general strike is scheduled for November 11, with Spanish reports saying it has been called over housing access, wages and the cost of living.

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Trade unions including CCOO and UGT are supporting the action, and Barcelona requested that the match be moved because of the difficulties the strike could create around staging the fixture.

Transport disruption was among the concerns, alongside the practical arrangements required for the game.

Earlier reporting had also raised the possibility of disruption to the pre-match press conferences and Arsenal’s training session at the stadium.

Barcelona initially sought to bring the match forward to Tuesday, November 10.

That option created another problem for Arsenal, however, because they are scheduled to face Liverpool away in the Women’s Super League on Sunday, November 8.

Moving the European match forward would therefore also have required a change to the domestic fixture.

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