The Clasico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid scheduled for next Saturday, October 26 at Camp Nou has been postponed due to the current security issues in Catalonia.
Barcelona has been brought virtually to a standstill since Monday with days of protests after nine separatist Catalan leaders were handed long jail sentences for ‘sedition and misuse of public funds’ by the Supreme Court in Madrid following their role in the referendum on independence in October 2017, which was considered illegal by the Spanish state.
The clubs have been given until 10am CET on Monday 21 October to decide a new date for one of the biggest games of the European football calendar.
If there is no agreement between the clubs the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will decide the fate of the fixture.
Barcelona have since confirmed December 18 would be their preferred date, making it the penultimate match before the mid-season break, but Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is keeping his preference a secret.
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"It could be December 7 or 18. I have a preferred date, but I won't tell you. We'll adapt to whatever happens."
RFEF had put forward December 18 as a possible new date for the Clasico, but La Liga are concerned that playing the fixture in midweek would have a negative impact financially on the television companies with rights to broadcast the fixture.
La Liga would prefer to schedule the game for December 7, bringing forward Barcelona’s home game against Mallorca and Real Madrid’s meeting with Espanyol at the Bernabeu by three days in order to clear a space for the Clasico to take place on the Saturday at Camp Nou.
