'Mario's Enemy' Appears, La Liga Forced to Postpone a Match

The Balaidos stadium of Celta Vigo is heavily infested with a fungus, compelling La Liga to delay the clash between "Los Celestes" and Osasuna.

La Liga has made a surprising decision regarding the opening round match between Celta Vigo and Osasuna of the 2026/27 La Liga season, which had to be postponed due to a rather unusual reason. The pitch at Balaidos, home of Los Celestes, has been severely attacked by a fungus, making it unfit for hosting the match.

Originally, Celta was scheduled to host Osasuna at dawn on Sunday (August 13) Vietnam time.However, after an on-site inspection, La Liga determined that the turf condition could not be improved in time. The match has therefore been rescheduled to 1:30 AM on August 28 (Vietnam time).

Notably, the fungus ravaging the Balaidos pitch has been humorously dubbed by fans as Mario's enemy,referencing the familiar mushrooms in the Mario game world. Although the nickname is playful, the problem Celta faces is entirely serious.

Los Celestes had proactively requested the match to be postponed since Tuesday, after realizing they could not restore the pitch to optimal condition. La Liga experts then visited Vigo to assess the situation.

Initially, Celta had hoped the pitch would stabilize, but the recent hot weather worsened the fungal outbreak. The treatment efforts were insufficient to bring Balaidos back to the standards required for a La Liga match.

Celta stated that earlier, La Liga technicians had inspected the pitch and confirmed that the fungal treatment measures were carried out correctly. However, unfavorable weather conditions severely affected the turf recovery process.

The postponement also makes the schedule at Balaidos extremely tight. Within about a week, this stadium is expected to host several consecutive matches: Celta Fortuna against Andorra on August 25,the first team hosting Osasuna on August 28,then Celta facing Athletic Bilbao on August 31, and Celta Fortuna again playing Castellon on September 1.

While Celta has to deal with pitch issues, Osasuna is unhappy with the newmatch schedule. Gorritxoak stated they understand the decision to postpone the match but expressed total disagreement with La Liga scheduling the match on August 28.

According to Osasuna, the two clubs had previously agreed to hold the match in late September,coinciding with the international break. This option was believed to give players more recovery time, especially in the early stages of the season.

However, La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) ultimately chose the date of August 28. This means Osasuna will have to play on August 25 and then travel to Vigo just three days later. Gorritxoakbelieve they are the biggest losers from the postponement decision, even though the cause is entirely beyond the control of both clubs.