Swift decision

Barcelona and Real agree new date after Clasico postponed due to protests

MADRID: Barcelona and Real Madrid have agreed a new date of Dec 18 for the Clasico after Spain’s biggest football match was postponed due to protests in Catalonia.

The fixture was set to be Barcelona’s first home game since nine pro-Catalan independence leaders were sentenced to imprisonment on Monday for their role in the illegal referendum in 2017.

Barca and Real swiftly came to an agreement, hours after the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced they had until 10am tomorrow to find a revised date for the game.

All that remains is for the RFEF to confirm the change with La Liga, although the league would prefer the match take place on Dec 7.

Dec 7 is a Saturday and has more potential for broadcasters but it would require moving both Barcelona against Real Mallorca and Real against Espanyol.

Dec 18 is a Wednesday and would clash with the Spanish King’s Cup but neither Barca nor Real will be involved at that stage of Spain’s domestic cup competition.

In a statement on Friday, Barcelona stressed their belief that the original fixture, scheduled for Oct 26 at the Nou Camp, should have gone ahead.

“The club’s desire was to play the Clasico at the Nou Camp on the 26th, the date and time previously agreed and the Committee was informed of this in writing,” read the Barcelona statement.

“The club have the utmost confidence in the peaceful behaviour of their members and fans who always express themselves in exemplary fashion at Nou Camp.

“Nevertheless, having received the decision of the RFEF Competition Committee to postpone the game citing ‘exceptional circumstances’ and given that it falls to the clubs to agree a new date for the game before Monday, the club will propose Dec 18.”

Real later added: “Real Madrid wish to communicate that the date proposed by both clubs is Dec 18.”

Barcelona said the club “regret the inconvenience” caused to fans and will refund those that had bought tickets for the original fixture.

The imprisonment of pro-independence leaders has sparked violent demonstrations across the city and there were fears protesters would use the match against Madrid to stage further acts of unrest.

Barcelona’s football club are regarded as a symbol of Catalanism and had responded on Monday with a statement insisting “prison sentences are not the solution”.

La Liga then proposed to the RFEF the venue of the Clasico be changed from Nou Camp to Real’s Bernabeu but both clubs opposed the switch.

Instead, it has been decided a change of date is necessary due to what the RFEF described as “exceptional circumstances”.

“The RFEF agree to dismiss the request made by La Liga in relation to reversing the order of the matches played between Barcelona and Real Madrid,” an RFEF statement read earlier on Friday.

“FC Barcelona and Real Madrid must agree on the new date of the meeting before Oct 21.

“In case of not reaching an agreement, the Competition Committee will be responsible for determining the date of the meeting.”

After the Catalan independence referendum in 2017, Barcelona played a league match against Las Palmas behind closed doors in protest, after their request for a postponement was rejected. — AFP