Last Saturday evening, the city of Barcelona witnessed riots and confrontations with the Catalan police, hours before the expected El Clásico match. The protests began in Plaza Catalunya and spread to other areas, resulting in damage to public property and some shops and vehicles. Police forces, known as "Mosos de Ecuadra", intervened to disperse the demonstrators, closing some shops in the area, while imposing intense security measures to restrict access to Plaza Catalunya. Police issued warnings to spectators to avoid the event venues, in light of growing concerns about the safety of the match, which will be hosted at the Spotify Camp Nou stadium on Sunday evening.
These developments come at critical times for the Spanish championship, as Barcelona approaches facing Real Madrid in the tenth round of the league. Barcelona remains at the top with 27 points, two ahead of Atletico Madrid, which won its last match over Deportivo La Coruna by a single goal. While Real Madrid ranks third with 21 points. The Spanish League did not announce any change in the date or location of the match due to the riots, which places those responsible for organizing crowd movement and implementing additional safety measures.
In another context, the newspaper "Marca" showed that FC Barcelona is studying the possibility of summoning the young Israeli player Orian Goren to the first team in preparation for facing Real Madrid in El Clásico. This move may spark international controversy, but it shows the club's willingness to try new options in its ranks before the big match. On the other hand, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho showed a sense of humor when he told reporters before the match: “I am not stupid and I do not believe in superstitions,” which reflects his enthusiasm and optimism towards the match.
The Spanish Football Federation's Referees' Committee announced the appointment of referee Juan Martinez Munuera to officiate the El Clásico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The referee is expected to be able to handle the high pressure of the match, especially in light of the security tensions that the city has witnessed in recent days. With the end of the riots, everyone is focusing on the sporting excitement that El Clásico offers, while the hope remains that the match will be held in a safe atmosphere and the competition for the league ranks will continue without delay.