Dispute over date for re-arranged El Clasico fixture gets royally heated

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October 24 – LaLiga is considering legal action after the season’s first El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid was rescheduled for December 18 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The match was set for this Saturday but was postponed at LaLiga’s request due to the outbreak of mass civil unrest throughout Catalonia in the wake of nine separatist leaders being jailed earlier this month.

La Liga had proposed December 4 after an earlier request to switch the two league fixtures between the arch-rivals was rejected. The clubs put forward December 18 after being asked to agree on a new date by RFEF’s competitions committee.

The problem is that the first round of the Copa del Rey is set to take place on that date.

“La Liga doesn’t agree with the competition committee’s decision to stipulate 18 December – after an agreement was reached between Barcelona and Real Madrid, despite La Liga’s objections – as the date in which the postponed Clasico should be played,” La Liga said in a statement.

“We are studying the documentation that we have recently received regarding the process in which the decision was taken.

“This is in order to evaluate taking possible legal action and against whom it should be tabled, before the relevant and opportune public organisations or legal organisms.”

Barca has urged the federation to allow the original game to go ahead, saying it had “the utmost confidence in the civilised and pacifist attitude of its members and fans who always express themselves in exemplary fashion at Camp Nou.”

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