Catalan police guarantee security for Barcelona - Real Madrid
The security forces explained the measures to be put in place for the Clásico to be played next Wednesday, 18 December.
The Clásico scheduled for next Wednesday, 18 December will go ahead as normal, according to the Catalan police force, Los Mossos d'Esquadra. The game is the rescheduled match, originally to be played on 26 October, which was postponed amid pro-independence protests in Barcelona.
Clásico guarantees
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"Los Mossos d'squadra guarantee the game will be played, that the supporters will have access to the stadium, as will the teams and the officials and security inside and outside the ground", said Interior Councillor Miquel Buch at a press conference. He went on to say, "the situation is the same as on 26 October, when guarantees were also in place for the game to be played. We didn't agree with the idea of postponing the match, which was a decision taken exclusively by LaLiga, one which we reiterate was a mistake."
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Police chief Eduard Sallent, accompanying Buch, explained that the game is considered high risk, and 3,000 police officers will be deployed, including 1,000 Catalan police force officers, specialist riot police, bomb squad officers and citizen's assistance officers.
Porous security cordon for Barcelona - Real Madrid
According to Sallent, the police will put in place a "porous security cordon, which will take action where needed." In effect this means that while there will be police around the ground, they will not be isolating the Camp Nou, but rather taking action at specific points.
Within the ground the security will be provided, as usual, by private security agents hired by Barcelona, although there will be Mossos agents standing by to identify and detain any individual who aims to invade the pitch.