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Clasico to go ahead amid heavy security: Spanish sports official

Xinhua, November 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Spanish Secretary of State for Sport Miguel Cardenal on Wednesday sent out a message of calm ahead of a weekend packed with sports events including a match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

Tuesday night's friendly match between Belgium and Spain was cancelled in the wake of the November 13 Paris attacks. The much awaited "Clasico" between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will be played in Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday.

Despite the level 4 security alert (out of 5) in the country, 78,000 fans will pack into the Bernabeu, which will be guarded by over 1,000 members of Spain's security forces.

"There will always be maximum security" for every sporting event during the coming weekend, Cardinal said.

"We are in safe hands. We trust the security forces and state bodies, who know exactly how to protect us," he said.

"We are in constant contact with the Interior Ministry and they have expressed a corresponding message of tranquility and normality. There is no special motive to suspect any threat or change in the past 15 days," he added.

Games at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium have been disrupted in the past, with Basque separatist group ETA setting off a small device ahead of the Champions League semi-final between Madrid and Barca in 2002, injuring nine people. In 2004, the ground was evacuated minutes from the end of a game between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. Endit