Spain: Barça-Real Madrid postponed to 18/12/2019 by the Federation, despite opposition from LaLiga

The FC Barcelona - Real Madrid CF match, counting for the Matchday 10 of the 2019-20 LaLiga Santander and initially scheduled on Saturday 26/10/2019 at the Camp Nou in Barcelona (ESP), has been officially postponed to Wednesday 18/12/2019, stated the Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), on 23/10/2019.

The postponement of the "Clasico" is explained by the risk of protests or other incidents related to the demonstrations taking place in Barcelona since the announcement, on 14/10/2019, of long prison sentences of several Catalan independence leaders accused of illegally organizing a referendum on the self-determination of Catalonia on 01/10/2017. Several Spanish authorities, LaLiga in the lead, fear that supporters of Barça and Catalonia in general could use the match to demonstrate against the decision of the Spanish Supreme Court.

"The decision of the Competition Committee was taken after analyzing in recent days the proposals of the two clubs, who were invited to agree on a date, and who agreed on the date of 18/12/2019," stated the Spanish Federation…