Why Levante v Athletic Bilbao was postponed while Barcelona played despite rain warnings

Levante’s La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao was postponed because of severe weather, while Barcelona’s game against Racing Santander went ahead despite official warnings of heavy rain. The contrasting decisions have prompted debate over how weather-related match suspensions are made.

According to Marca, clubs do not have the authority to decide whether a fixture should be called off because of dangerous conditions. That responsibility rests with the relevant authorities – in this case, the governments of Valencia and Catalonia – which can impose bans on outdoor activities regardless of weather alerts.

An orange weather alert remained in force across Valencia throughout Wednesday, but that warning alone did not require Levante’s match to be cancelled. The Valencian government had not issued an explicit prohibition on outdoor activities.

Once at the ground, however, the referee is empowered to suspend a match based on the conditions he observes, even without prior permission from the authorities.

Andalusian referee Alejandro Quintero took that decision in the Levante-Athletic Bilbao fixture after heavy rain fell during the warm-up. The water flooded the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms, making it impossible for the match to begin.

The postponement came despite sunshine and only a small amount of cloud two and a half hours before kick-off. The orange alert was still active, warning that conditions could deteriorate.

In Catalonia, by contrast, the regional government did not impose a ban on outdoor activities before Barcelona played Racing Santander. The rain had been moderate or normal in the minutes before the warm-up, although it later became heavy.

Juan Ramon Cabello, deputy director of civil protection for the Catalan government, explained the decision after the match at El Larguero. He said: “We sent the alert at around 9:30pm Spanish time, when the Barcelona-Racing match was about to start. It is true that we sent a warning about the possibility of heavy rain, but it was localised rainfall which could affect one part of the city and not another. We therefore felt that, with great caution when travelling, the match could be played.”

Speaking to Cadena SER, Cabello added: “We did not see a need to suspend the match. In fact, we were very precise in communicating the message, making clear that it was not a restriction but safety advice for people. These weather events are highly localised and can affect some areas but not others. We monitored the development of the rain continuously in coordination with the meteorological service and issued that recommendation without imposing a ban on outdoor activities in the area.”

He said the match would have been stopped if forecasts, observations or an incident had shown that suspension was necessary.

The warning referred to by Cabello was red, rather than the orange alert issued in Valencia. Nevertheless, officials judged that the storm in Catalonia had not developed in the same way, allowing the match to continue. Referee Munuera Montero also concluded that the conditions did not justify stopping it.

In both cases, the authorities followed by the clubs and La Liga did not ban outdoor sport. Levante’s match was postponed because of the storm’s development and the referee’s decision, while Barcelona’s fixture went ahead for the opposite reasons.