La Liga considers legal action over new Clasico date

MADRID, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Spain's La Liga is considering legal action after the first league Clasico of the season between Barcelona and Real Madrid was rescheduled for Dec. 18 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Wednesday.

The game was due to be played at Barca’s Camp Nou stadium on Saturday, but was postponed following a request from La Liga due to extraordinary circumstances.

There has been unrest throughout Catalonia following the decision by Spain’s High Court last week to jail nine Catalan separatist leaders for their role in an illegal referendum.

Protesters have taken to the streets throughout the region and there have been numerous clashes with riot police.

“The Competition Committee has taken the decision after analysing the dates proposed by both clubs, who were asked to reach an agreement and they both suggested that 18 December would be the best date to play the postponed game,” an RFEF statement said.

La Liga, however, is unhappy about the new date and could take legal action following the decision of the RFEF with which it has an uneasy relationship.

The match was originally scheduled for 12:00 CET (13:00 local) on Saturday, catering for a global audience, and has now been moved to a Wednesday evening.

"La Liga doesn't agree with the Competition Committee's decision to stipulate Dec. 18 - after an agreement was reached between Barcelona and Real Madrid, despite La Liga's objections - as the date in which the postponed Clasico should be played," La Liga said in a statement.

"We are studying the documentation that we have recently received regarding the process in which the decision was taken. This is in order to evaluate taking possible legal action and against whom it should be tabled, before the relevant and opportune public organisations or legal organisms." (Reporting by Joseph Cassinelli, editing by Ed Osmond)