Barcelona v Newcastle game gets rained off

Barcelona's Champions League game at home to Newcastle United has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch, UEFA said.

UEFA spokesman Mike Lee said the decision had been taken after the referee took a final look at the pitch with roughly 90 minutes to go before the scheduled 2045 CET kickoff on Tuesday.


"It's been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch," Lee told Reuters. "It will be rescheduled next week, on Tuesday or Wednesday. That decision will be made tomorrow (Wednesday)."

A Barcelona spokesman said: "The rain here is really coming down. The referee decided to take another look at the pitch and see if the ball could still move properly over the surface. That wasn't possible and it was decided to postpone it."

The game had been given the go-ahead after an afternoon inspection, subject to the weather conditions not worsening.

The rain continued to lash down over the Catalan capital in the hours before the game, though, leaving the game unplayable.