Eibar-Real Sociedad derby called off because of air quality

The La Liga derby in Eibar on Sunday has been called off because of poor air quality following a landslide into a nearby rubbish dump. Basque rivals Real Sociedad were due to make the short journey to Eibar, an industrial town in a narrow valley, for a 1500 local time kick-off.

The Basque regional health department had recommended that sports be avoided in the area after a rockslide on 6 February into the Zaldibar rubbish dump, about eight kilometers from Eibar's Ipurua stadium. Real Sociedad released a brief statement saying that at the request of La Liga and the Spanish football federation the two clubs had "complied with the decision not to go ahead with the match that both teams were due to play at Ipurua tomorrow".

Two employees of the company which manages the site are still missing. The clubs did not announce a new date for the derby between the only two clubs from the province of Guipuzcoa in the top division.

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