Clasico will be played: Barca prez

Madrid, December 12

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said today that the Clasico against Real Madrid next week will not be postponed again, amid renewed fears of unrest around the fixture.

Protestors from the Catalan separatist movement, Democratic Tsunami, have called for a “massive” protest outside Camp Nou, where Barcelona are due to play against Real Madrid in La Liga on December 18.

Spain’s most prestigious fixture was originally scheduled for October 26 but had to be postponed following a wave of pro-independence demonstrations in the city.

“I can say that the Clasico will be played, it will not be postponed again,” Bartomeu said. “It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure it goes ahead. We know that we live in a complicated period in Catalonia but that can be compatible with sport.”

ISL match in Guwahati postponed due to curfew

New Delhi: The Indian Super League (ISL) football match between NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC in Guwahati was today postponed indefinitely after the host city was placed under a curfew following protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The game was slated to be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium there.

Mehtab played despite being diagnosed with chickenpox?

New Delhi: East Bengal’s Mehtab Singh apparently played in an I-League match recently despite being diagnosed with chickenpox.

When contacted, an East Bengal official said the player was diagnosed with the medical condition only after he returned to Kolkata a day after the game. The match against Punjab FC, held at Ludhiana’s Guru Nanak Stadium on December 7, ended in a 1-1 stalemate with Mehtab featuring in it.

Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj today slammed the player and his club for what he termed a “stupid and highly irresponsible” act. — Agencies