On Saturday evening, the city of Barcelona witnessed riots and confrontations with the police, hours before the expected El Clásico match between his team and Real Madrid. The protests began in Plaza Catalunya, where young people launched mobile movements organized through social media, and events escalated into clashes with the Catalan police known as the “Mosos d'Esquadra.” The police intervened to disperse the demonstrators after acts of vandalism occurred that included public property and some stores and vehicles, which led to the closure of a number of stores and restricted access to the area surrounding the square.
These events come in an exciting atmosphere, as the Spotify Camp Nou Stadium will host the anticipated El Clásico match on Sunday evening in the tenth round of the Spanish League. The Spanish League has not announced any amendment to the date or location of the match, and the match remains on its official schedule, while the focus remains on securing the event and organizing crowd movement in light of the escalating security conditions.
Technically, Barcelona leads the league standings with 27 points, two points ahead of runner-up Atletico, which beat Deportivo La Coruna with a single goal on Saturday evening. On the other hand, Real Madrid ranks third with 21 points. This arrangement adds additional importance to the match, as each team seeks to secure victory in a match that bears a historical character and intense competition.
The newspaper “Marca” indicated that Barcelona is considering calling up the young Israeli player Orian Goren to the first team roster in preparation for facing Real Madrid, which adds a new dimension to the controversy over the participation of Israeli players in El Clásico. On the other hand, Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho, showed a sense of humor in an interview with journalists, attaching sarcastic comments about “superstitions” in the world of football, which reflects the sense of humor he brings to the meeting.
Finally, the Referees Committee of the Spanish Football Federation decided that referee Juan Martinez Munuera would be assigned to officiate the El Clásico match, a decision that enhances the importance of the match and confirms the federation’s commitment to providing a highly experienced referee in such matches that attract the attention of the world’s fans. With the end of the security events, the fans head to the Camp Nou to support their teams in a match that will be considered one of the highlights of the Spanish League of the season.