- Title: Real Madrid and Barca arrive at hotel escorted by police
- Date: 18th December 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (DECEMBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) REAL MADRID BUS ARRIVING AT HOTEL WHERE BARCA AND REAL MADRID WILL CONCENTRATE AHEAD OF "EL CLASICO" REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, STRIKER KARIM BENZEMA, GOALKEEPER THIBAUT COURTOIS, FULL BACKS DANIEL CARVAJAL AND NACHO, PLAYMAKER ISCO ALARCON, FORWARD GARETH BALE AND MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO LEAVING BUS REAL MADRID BUS DEFENDER SERGIO RAMOS WAVING AS HE LEAVES THE BUS MIDFIELDER TONI KROOS LEAVING BUS REAL MADRID BUS SURROUNDED BY POLICE BARCA BUS ARRIVING AT HOTEL BARCA COACH ERNESTO VALVERDE LEAVING BUS FORWARD LIONEL MESSI AND MIDFIELDER ARTURO VIDAL LEAVING THE BUS DEFENDER GERARD PIQUE LEAVING THE BUS MIDFIELDER IVAN RAKITIC LEAVING THE BUS FORWARD ANTOINE GRIEZMANN LEAVING THE BUS BARCA'S BUS PARKING
- Embargoed: 1st January 2020 11:53
- Keywords: Barca Clasico Police Protest Real Madrid Security
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAI7ARR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Real Madrid and FC Barcelona players arrived at their hotel escorted by police on Wednesday (December 18) ahead of the top of the table clash between Spain's rival soccer giants - "El Clasico".
A political cloud hangs over the match between the two teams with the secretive Catalan protest group Democratic Tsunami calling for supporters of the northeastern region's independence to stage protests in the hours before kickoff.
The group, which organised mass demonstrations at Barcelona's airport in October and blocked a major highway, said on its social media accounts that more than 25,000 people have confirmed they would take part in Wednesday's protests.
Authorities in Barcelona have assembled a 3,000-strong force of public and private security officers to guarantee the match will not be disrupted, but declined to say how that compared to other "El Clasico" games.
The match was postponed for two months due to the political unrest in Catalonia.
Barca lead the standings after 16 games but are locked on 35 points with second-placed Real.
(Production: Jordi Rubio, Silvio Castellanos, Miguel Pereira, May Ponzo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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