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Clasico to go ahead as planned amid heightened security - Cardenal

Spain's secretary of state for sport Miguel Cardenal has said security for Saturday's Clasico at the Bernabeu will be heightened after last week's terror attacks in Paris but stressed that it is set to go on as scheduled.

Cardenal said there was currently no reason to postpone the game between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Friday's attacks on the French capital killed 129 people, with two explosions taking place outside the Stade de France as France played Germany in an international friendly.

Spain's friendly in Belgium on Tuesday was cancelled after a request from the Belgian authorities, while Germany's match with Netherlands in Hanover on the same night was called off after a bomb scare.

A meeting of the Spanish government-led anti-violence commission on Wednesday is expected to give the go-ahead for "three rings of security" at the Bernabeu and a much heavier than usual police presence around the Clasico.

But asked by AS whether the security situation in Spain had changed in a way that meant the game could be postponed, Cardenal said: "At the moment, no.

"The situation in the country is not different than a fortnight ago. The best thing is not to think about that [postponing the game]. If people see we are considering it, they will come to a different conclusion which is not accurate.

"We must be sensitive to the concerns and respond to the mood among the people after a massacre like this.

"But the judgment allows us to think it will be a normal game. We all know there is a problem, jihadist terrorism. But the security forces of the state do not rest, and there are thousands of people working on this.

"There is no reason to make us think we should change our behaviour. There is no need to think the enemy could attack us this week.

"People should know there is total transparency. If it is said it is reasonable to go to the stadium, for the Clasico to be played, then it is reasonable."

Cardenal said there was contact between the authorities and senior figures at the clubs, but stressed that the security experts were the people making the ultimate decisions.

La Liga president Javier Tebas told AS he had faith that the Spanish police had the necessary experience to manage the situation.

"They know how to differentiate those games which need more or less security," he added. "Nobody can doubt the police know what is there, know the times we are living in. They will take the necessary measures.

"I expect that here, on Saturday, we will not have any problems."