This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
October 26 was set to be the date for the highly anticipated El Clasico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Nou Camp in Barcelona, but the recent jailing of nine Catalan political leaders has sparked confrontation within the city.
As a result, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) has announced that the match will be postponed, with a new date to be agreed upon by the two clubs by Monday.
According to the RFEF, the regulation prevents the alteration of the order of dispute of the parties established in the calendar, but the committee has allowed the affected clubs to reach an agreement to find a new date for the classic dispute.
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde had expressed his hope that the game would go ahead, stating, "This game can perfectly take place - it's a good opportunity to play it with normalcy." However, the rising tensions in the city have led to the postponement of the match.
The El Prat airport in Barcelona was temporarily closed on Tuesday due to the rising tensions, with almost 100 people reported to have been arrested since Monday.
La Liga are against the idea of staging the El Clasico fixture during midweek as it would likely harm viewing figures and have a knock-on effect to television rights holders.
