This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
La Liga has requested to switch the El Clasico match from Barcelona's Nou Camp to Real Madrid's Bernabeu on 26 October, citing fears of civil unrest in Catalonia.
Protests have been ongoing in Barcelona since Monday, following the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders.
La Liga made the request to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which will seek the opinions of both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
However, sources close to Barcelona indicate that the club will refuse the request, deeming it unnecessary.
La Liga cited 'exceptional circumstances beyond our control' as the reason for the request, which comes as more protests are expected in Barcelona on the day of the match.
The RFEF competitions committee is expected to make a decision by Thursday, 24 October.
Barcelona and Real Madrid were not initially involved in La Liga's request, and neither club has officially responded.
As a result, the fixture scheduled for March will now take place in Barcelona.
On Monday, the Catalan Football Federation suspended all matches in the region, although this ruling does not affect La Liga matches or the Spanish national team.
Catalonia, a semi-autonomous region in north-east Spain, declared independence in a referendum on 1 October 2017, which was declared illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.
The nine separatist leaders were convicted of sedition and handed jail sentences ranging from nine to 13 years by Spain's Supreme Court.
Following the sentencing, Barcelona expressed its opposition to the decision, stating that 'prison is not the solution.'
The club also called for a process of dialogue and negotiation to resolve the conflict, which should lead to the release of convicted civic and political leaders.
