El Clasico Fixture Postponed
Matchday 10 of the Spanish La Liga season was marred by the postponement of the first El Clasico of the season. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid was pulled from the schedule to avoid an unforeseen security crisis. The RFEF, the Spanish soccer federation, objected to the timing of the game. The political tinderbox that is Catalonia has impacted the beautiful game in the past, and there was concern that this moment in the footballing world could be something of a flashpoint. Catalonia has made a big push for independence. La Liga has a big moment as a promoter of Catalan culture.
The El Clasico match was postponed due to a heightened security risk. The risk stemmed from protests against the heavy sentences handed down to nine leaders of the Catalan independence movement. The protesters, who want Catalonia to become an independent state, had already caused quite a stir. And the Clasico, as we've seen in the past, can be a flashpoint. So La Liga made the wise decision to move El Clasico to early December.
El Clasico 2019 Next Match
The two clubs were consulted on the date change and the teams decided to play on December 18. La Liga issued a statement announcing its intention to appeal the decision. League officials said that the new date would conflict with scheduled Copa del Rey matches. If the appeals to the ordinary courts and to the Spanish government's sports council (CSD) are unsuccessful, La Liga could lose a considerable amount of dinero. And by December, the political unrest in the Catalan region will hopefully have calmed down.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid Fixture
The La Liga table for the 2019-20 season looks a bit unusual, with both of Spain's soccer giants missing a game. Barcelona sit in second place, just behind Granada, with 19 points. The Blaugrana are one point behind the leaders and one point ahead of their rivals, Los Blancos. Both teams will play a handful of league games and the Copa del Rey before meeting again at the Nou Camp. It's worth noting that the next El Clasico is currently snowed under with no decision yet; a few future engagements could clear things up.