La Liga considering legal action over new el Clasico date

LaLiga chiefs could yet take legal action over the Spanish Football Federation's decision to rearrange the El Clasico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid for December 18.

The federation announced on Wednesday that it had agreed the new date preferred by the two clubs for the game – which was due to be played at the Nou Camp this Saturday but had been postponed because of civil unrest in Catalonia.

However, a statement from LaLiga later indicated that it was unhappy with the decision and is considering its options.

The statement said: "LaLiga does not share the resolution of the Competition Committee to set 18 December – following the agreement reached by Barcelona and Real Madrid, despite LaLiga's refusal – as the date of the previously postponed Clasico.

"It is studying the documentation recently received from the file referring to this procedure to assess the possible legal actions to be taken against the corresponding institutions and before the public bodies or jurisdictional bodies that it deems appropriate."

The original fixture was postponed following mass protests in Barcelona after nine Catalan political leaders were given lengthy prison sentences for their roles in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, with both clubs rejecting a suggestion that it could be played at Real's Bernabeu Stadium instead.

Barca had urged the federation to allow the game to go ahead, saying it had "the utmost confidence in the civilised and pacifist attitude of its members and fans who always express themselves in exemplary fashion at Camp Nou".

In its statement on Wednesday, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said: "The competition committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation has agreed today to set December 18 as the date of the FC Barcelona v Real Madrid CF match... which was to be held on October 26 and was postponed due to exceptional causes.

"The decision of the competition committee has come after analysing in recent days the proposals of both clubs, which were invited to agree on a date and which have agreed on December 18."

Both clubs confirmed the new date on their official websites, with Barcelona's saying: "We have a date for El Clasico.

"The Spanish Football Federation's competition committee have officially announced on Wednesday that the first game between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid this season, originally scheduled for October 26, will now be taking place on Wednesday 18 December at Camp Nou, the date that FC Barcelona originally proposed a week ago."