Next Sunday, the Camp Nou won't just stage a summit clash on the green rectangle. It will also witness a new chapter in the complete institutional rupture between Spain's two giants, after confirmation that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will not travel to Barcelona for the Clasico.
Real Madrid visit Barcelona on Sunday evening at 9pm Central European Time, in a match the world is waiting for. Jose Mourinho's return to the Camp Nou only sharpens the excitement, making this the most prominent event of the season.
Off the pitch, the picture is entirely different. Sources from both clubs told the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" that institutional relations between Barcelona and Real Madrid remain completely severed, ever since the Royal club launched its fierce campaign against Barcelona in the "Negreira case".
The rupture has its consequences. According to those sources, the traditional working lunch that used to bring both boards together a few hours before the Clasico will not take place, a protocol held sacred for decades.
Perez continues his boycott of the Camp Nou for a third season running. Honorary president Pirri was Real Madrid's only representative in the VIP box last season, and this year the expectation is that only the club's vice-president will turn up to represent the Merengue.
By contrast, the list of VIPs expected at the Clasico remains incomplete. The one confirmation so far is global star Tyler, the Creator, whose brand logo "GOLF" will appear on the front of the Barcelona shirt during the match, a fresh marketing move by the Catalan club.