UK fans will be unable to watch Jude Bellingham’s El Clasico debut – because of the Saturday afternoon TV blackout.
Bellingham and his Real Madrid team-mates travel to the temporary home of their greatest rivals on October 28.
Barcelona are playing their home matches this season at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, the former home of Espanyol and host venue of the 1992 Games, while the Nou Camp is being renovated and updated.
But La Liga chiefs have now announced the game will kick off at 3.15 pm, meaning it cannot be screened live on British television.
The scheduling is to give Barcelona the maximum possible time to prepare for their Champions League away game at Shakhtar Donetsk, which is one of the two early kick-offs on the following Tuesday.
It means though that England fans wanting to see what Bellingham could do in the biggest club game of his career to date will be unable to watch the match live in the UK legally.
Arsenal against Sheffield United and Bournemouth versus Burnley are the only two 3pm Premier League games on that day.
But the blackout – which is only lifted in exceptional circumstances and has been in place since the 1960s – is designed to protect attendances throughout the English football pyramid.
It is extremely unlikely that the FA would listen to any urgings to relax their stance even if Bellingham’s bow in the fixture would be a ratings winner.
Additionally, Prem bosses are not exactly on the best of terms with La Liga chief Javier Tebas, a longstanding critic of the financial power of English football.
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But the upshot is that home-based fans will not be able to watch Bellingham in action in the game.
The former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund star has been on fire since his move to the Spanish giants and has netted five times in his five league appearances so far.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
