ElClásico brings viewing experience to Mzansi

ElClásico, the most-watched club football match on the planet, is back. This Saturday, 10 April at 9pm, Real Madrid will host FC Barcelona in a pivotal battle in the 2020-21 LaLiga Santander title race, this time at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium for the first time in history.

Just three points separate Atlético de Madrid and their ElClásico rivals at the top end of the table and, with just nine games left to play, this Saturday’s match promises to have a crucial impact on both teams' chances of making a bid for the top spot.

ElClásico is one of the longest-running and heated rivalries in world football and LaLiga's activations highlight the passion and intensity of the game. As such, in the days leading up to the match, LaLiga has organised a plethora of international actions to show that ElClásico takes over the world.

LaLiga has quite literally taken the lounges where fans of ElClásico will watch the match and installed it in South Africa, where fans will experience the classic game at a lounge which will be installed at Eastwoods, in Pretoria, with the event starting at 7:30pm.

In other countries it will be Mount Bromo, in the east of the island of Java, Indonesia; in a Boma of a Maasai tribe in Kenya; in the historic city of One Thousand and One Nights, Samarkand, in Uzbekistan; and a final lounge at the foot of the spectacular lake Eibsee in Germany.

Furthermore, to symbolise LaLiga's global reach, it has installed 15 ElClásico flags in the most unpredictable places in order to surprise football-lovers in countries such as Egypt, Angola, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Brazil, Bolivia, Turkey, Malaysia, Ecuador, Japan, Thailand, Denmark, the United States and Canada.

Although the Spanish government's health restrictions do not allow for supporters to fill the stands, LaLiga has ensured that fans in Spain and the world over can immerse themselves in the match. LaLiga's broad and varied broadcast offering allows the game to be followed from all angles, including from the players' perspective.

Regardless of their location, fans of ElClásico will enjoy new graphics and statistics during the match, driven by artificial intelligence and augmented reality; as well as broadcast shots such as those from the Fan Cam and the cinema camera, along with spectacular aerial shots from drones.

El Clasico will be broadcast live in South Africa on LaLiga’s official broadcaster - SuperSport LaLiga, on DStv Channel 204.

THE STARS OF ELCLÁSICO

The return ElClásico fixture is set to be one of the most exciting clashes in recent seasons – a face-off between two huge clubs and a real six-pointer when it comes to the LaLiga title race.

The game will also feature a very special match ball, as LaLiga and PUMA will screen-print 'ElClásico abril 2021' onto the Adrenalina football for the occasion. The ball’s technical specifications will be the same, but it will include the date stamp for the very first time.

As always, the biggest stars in world football will be on display in front of millions of fans around the globe. Stars such as Lionel Messi, the top scorer in the history of ElClásico and six-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, will take centre stage alongside international heavyweights such as Luka Modric, Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong and Thibaut Courtois.

However, one of the most familiar faces will be missing, given that Sergio Ramos – the man who has played the most ElClásico games ever – has been ruled out with a calf injury.

In addition, ElClásico also continues to showcase the stars of tomorrow, with the presence of FC Barcelona's Pedri and Sergiño Dest, and Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr, evidence of the wealth of young talent offered by LaLiga.