Spanish league considers legal action over ‘clásico’ change

In the latest twist of a never-ending power struggle, the Spanish league said Wednesday it will consider legal action against the Spanish soccer federation's decision to play the "clásico" match between Barcelona and Real Madrid on a weekday in December.

The league released a statement shortly after the federation confirmed Dec. 18, a Wednesday, as the new date. The match was initially scheduled for Saturday but was postponed because of a planned separatist rally in the riot-stricken Catalan capital.

The new date was proposed by the clubs, but the league wanted the match to be played on Dec. 7, a Saturday, because it would better suit television rights holders. In addition, Copa del Rey matches are scheduled for Dec. 18, and the Club World Cup will already be underway in Qatar.

The "clásicos" are the biggest games of the year in Spain and are among the most watched matches in the world. The league usually promotes one of them to the Asian market and the other to the American market.

Saturday's match would have been played at 1 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), a timeslot that favors Asian audiences. If played in the middle of the week, the game will most likely have to start at night, possibly creating problems for the league to abide to its contracts with the rights holders.

The dispute over the "clásico" adds strain to the relationship between the league and the Spanish federation. League president Javier Tebas and federation head Luis Rubiales — two outspoken figures in Spanish soccer — have been at odds over a series of issues recently. One of them is the league's attempt to play a regularseason match in the United States, something the federation has yet to approve.

The Spanish league runs the top two soccer divisions in the country, while the federation controls regulations and matches for professional and amateur games.

The league said it is studying what actions it can take to keep the "clásico" from being played on Dec. 18.