"It was an inappropriate post" - Barcelona apologize to Vinicius Jr after club director says racially abused Real Madrid attacker 'deserves a slap'

Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste has publicly apologized to Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. This came after Blaugrana board member Miquel Camps took to social media to demean the Brazilian forward.

The young Brazilian star has, sadly, not been a stranger to racial abuse. During last weekend's 1-1 draw between Real Madrid and Sevilla, Vinicius found himself at the receiving end of discriminatory insults. While many were swift to denounce the abhorrent act, Camps only escalated the tension.

The Barcelona official brazenly labeled Vinicius a 'clown,' questioning his on-pitch actions, in a tweet that was promptly removed, which said (via Metro):

"It’s not racism, he deserves a slap for being a clown and a joker, what do those unnecessary and pointless stepovers in the middle of the pitch mean?"

Addressing the issue in the wake of Barcelona's own Champions League triumph over Shakhtar Donetsk, Yuste offered a public apology. Speaking to Movistar, he stated (via Metro):

"If Vinicius is listening to me, I want to say that this will not be repeated. Even if it was a mistake, it should not have been posted. It was an inappropriate [post]."

Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez has already declared his intention to forgo this weekend's El Clasico in a calculated protest against Camps' comments.

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UK fans left in the dark as 3pm Blackout Rule shuts out Barcelona vs Real Madrid broadcast

In what will leave British fans of La Liga in disappointment, the first El Clasico of the season will be absent from UK television screens this weekend. As Barcelona and Real Madrid prepare to wage war, UK fans will have to deal with the 3pm blackout rule (via TalkSPORT).

This longstanding rule prevents the broadcasting of any football match live on TV between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays. Though initially aimed at preserving attendance figures for English football, this regulation extends its grip to foreign games as well, including the El Clasico.

The timing of this anticipated clash has a rationale, and it lies in Barcelona's packed fixture schedule. La Liga authorities confirmed that the match will kick off at 3:15pm local time to facilitate Barca's recovery time for their Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk next Tuesday.

They face a 5:45pm kick-off against the Ukrainian side, making the El Clasico afternoon timing a necessity.

There have been debates that the rule, formulated in the 1960s, would be up for reconsideration, given the evolution of the sport and its global reach. But the 3pm blackout remains, and there has been no indication from governing bodies that it will be reconsidered or amended.