Barcelona-Real Madrid: closed doors Clasico a possibility
Sources at Camp Nou say that they have not considered the issue yet but point to the Las Palmas game on the day of the referendum in 2017.
FC Barcelona will consider all angles ahead of the Clásico scheduled for 26 October but in principle, the Camp Nou club share Real Madrid’s opinion that the game should be staged in Barcelona’s home stadium as planned and not moved to the Bernabéu or a neutral ground.
The Clásico has been cast into doubt by continued unrest across the Catalonia region after the Spanish Supreme Court earlier this week jailed political leaders for their part in the 2017 referendum and declaration of independence in the northeastern region of Spain. Pro-independence political parties have called for a mass demonstration on the day of the game, prompting security concerns.
LaLiga has suggested that the game be moved to the Bernabéu, with the date of the Clásico scheduled there – 1 March – used instead to stage the game in Camp Nou.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are both adamant that the game should take place at Camp Nou and although the Catalan club have yet to make an official announcement on the matter, a precedent for a closed-doors Clásico has been pointed out by Barça.
Las Palmas played behind closed doors on polling day
It concerned a league match against Las Palmas precisely on the day of the independence referendum on 1 October, 2017. FC Barcelona had asked that the game be moved to another date but after a report from the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, guaranteeing the safety of all concerned LaLiga decided the fixture would go ahead and denied Barça’s request.
Barça discussed the matter internally with players and staff and briefly considered refusing to play but in the end reached a compromise whereby the game was staged behind closed doors. Under the circumstances, Barcelona believe it will not be imposed upon them to play the game away from home when their request for a fixture postponement against Las Palmas was turned down.
Barça Las Palmas statement
"FC Barcelona condemns the events which have taken place in many parts of Catalonia today in order to prevents its citizens exercising their democratic right to free expression.
Given the exceptional nature of events, the Board of Directors have decided that the FC Barcelona first team game against Las Palmas will be played behind closed doors following the Professional Football League's refusal to postpone the game."