The Girona exile of the newest Catalan club in the Liga F

BarcelonaBarça is not the only team struggling to start the competition at its stadium.Starting this season, a natural grass pitch is required for playing in the Liga F. This problem forced Badalona Women (Levant Badalona last season) to travel to Palamós to play their matches. The work on the Badalona Municipal Stadium, which the club claims should have been completed this summer, has not begun, and the only solution to continue in the First Division has been to temporarily relocate the stadium.

The Badalona City Council told ARA that the deadline for public procurement is appropriate; the project is currently under approval, and the bidding period for the works will then open. The schedule predicts they can begin in January, according to municipal sources. Furthermore, several companies specializing in laying turf in football stadiums have assured ARA that once work begins, the deadline will be no less than two months, with the possibility of extending it to four. All of this could make it difficult for Badalona Women to return home this season.

In accordance with the initial deadlines, the club requested to play the first few matchdays away from home. The competition accepted this proposal, but it ultimately failed to prevent the move to the Estadio Municipal Palamós - Costa Brava. More than 100 kilometers (an hour's drive) separate the two grounds. Furthermore, the agreement between the Palamós City Council and FC Badalona Women stipulates that the club will be responsible for the cost of repairing the stadium's turf, not replacing it. This way, the club saves paying municipal fees for using the pitch. Meanwhile, Badalona Women is preparing for the season in Sant Cugat, where they are conducting fitness sessions at the Sant Cugat Junior Club and some training sessions at the High Performance Center (CAR), where there are natural grass pitches.

A new change of identity

Levante Badalona, born with the hope of competing in the F League in the medium term, is already a history of women's football. Just one year after moving from Sant Joan Despí to Badalona, the club is once again changing its identity. Starting next season, they will compete under the name FC Badalona Women, in addition to a new modification to the crest. President Josep Bellet stated that this is part of a process of continued growth: "Our goal is to provide the players with everything they need to feel comfortable, confident, and proud to represent the team." Furthermore, the club is also undergoing a transformation, becoming a sports corporation with new investors in the coming months. There will also be changes to the club's colors, where the kits made by Nike will be predominantly black and white.

Revolution in the squad

Just like a year ago, the squad has also undergone a reshuffle. There were six new additions—Antonia Canales, Lice Chamorro, Jessica Martínez, Lorena Navarro, Sonia Majarín, and Paula Sánchez—and nine departures—Michele Vasconcelos, Chebbak, Rebecca Elloh, Laura Martínez, Julia Mora, Maca Portales, and Ana García, who took the reins in the final stretch of last season, with Ferran Cabello as sporting director.

Separately, there has been an unprecedented case in women's football. The Badalona club announced the signing of Rosa Márquez from Betis on July 2nd. Last Monday, the player announced on social media that there are times when "stopping in time is also moving forward." All of this suggested she would be taking some time off from her career. The surprise came hours later when Sevilla announced an agreement with Badalona for the transfer of the Andalusian player.

In any case, Junyent's team has already gotten to work. The first preseason test will be on Saturday, August 16 (9 p.m./La Red+), at the Campo Municipal de Peralada, for the Copa Catalunya final against Pere Romeu's Barça. The official debut will be on August 30-31 at Deportivo, while the debut in Palamós will have to wait until September 20-21 against DUX Logroño.