Revealed, the reason why Barcelona changed their travel plans ahead of the Copa del Rey semifinals

Barcelona changed their travel plans ahead of the Copa del Rey semifinal match at home to Atletico Madrid, Friday morning WIB 13 February 2026. Here’s the reason!

Barcelona have made last-minute adjustments to their travel plans ahead of their match at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

After hours of negotiations with airport authorities, as well as their charter airline, Barca have decided to move their scheduled trip to the Spanish capital to Wednesday evening local time at 21.30. This is the official confirmation from the Catalan club.

Why Are Travel Plans Changed?

The main motivation behind this sudden change, was the forecast of strong winds in the Barcelona area.

Even though Hansi Flick’s team was originally scheduled to fly on Thursday afternoon local time at 11.00 – the match was held on Thursday evening local time, meteorological reports showed wind gusts reaching up to 55 knots, or the equivalent of a speed of 101 km per hour.

An air traffic control source said that although such wind intensity did not completely prevent take-off, it carried significant operational risks.

A major concern for club travel logistics is the potential for changes in wind direction; If wind gusts hit the runway from a transverse angle, then the maneuver can become very complicated, and can cause delays or even force diversions.

However, by leaving on Wednesday evening local time or Thursday morning WIB, the Blaugrana squad group can avoid the uncertainty of conditions which are predicted to worsen the following day.

Robert Lewandowski and his friends are expected to gather at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training complex on Wednesday evening, around 20.00 Spanish time.

From the training camp, the players will travel by official team bus to the airport and fly at 21.30.

After arriving in Madrid, the team will go straight to the Intercontinental Hotel – where they will spend the night while completing preparations for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.

This change in flight plans ensures that Hansi Flick’s men will be well rested and without any distractions, when they have to prepare for the big Copa Del Rey match against Atletico Madrid.