Whenever Barcelona and Real Madrid go head-to-head - whether it’s at the Camp Nou, the Bernabeu or a neutral venue - it’s always a sell-out.

El Clasico is the most watched fixture in world football. It’s also often the most exciting.

The fierce Spanish rivals recently met at the Camp Nou, back on May 6, and it was a typically thrilling encounter.

There were four goals - half of which were scored by the world’s two best players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - one red card and no shortage of talking points.

With the Clasico, you’re guaranteed drama.

People come from all corners of the world to watch the famous fixture and will often pay extortionate prices for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grab themselves a seat inside the stadium.

Even though Barça had wrapped up the league title ahead of the Clasico earlier this month, the Camp Nou was still packed with people hoping to witness another Messi masterclass or Andres Iniesta turning on the style one last time before he leaves the club this summer.

Almost 3,000 Barça fans have been banned

However, it’s been revealed that almost 3,000 Barcelona season-ticket holders have been temporarily banned by the club, less than two weeks after the match.

Why?

Well, according to ESPN, a team of 120 people were deployed before the Clasico to detect how many counterfeit tickets had entered the black market.

It was then discovered that 2,823 fans with season tickets had handed over their details to a third party in order to obtain an illicit financial return.

Barça have missed out on €1.5 million

Barça suspect that the third party have then used those details to falsify tickets for the game - and this, the Catalan giants believe, has cost them around €1.5 million, which works out around €500 a ticket.

"It's the largest and most forceful action against fraud and the [illegal re-sale of tickets] that [Barca] have ever carried out," club spokesman Josep Vives is quoted as saying following the investigation into fraudulently falsified season tickets.

Barcelona season-ticket holders who didn’t want to attend the Clasico had the option to return their ticket to the club, who would then re-sell it via their “free seat” scheme.

But instead, tickets were sold to tourists by a third party for hugely inflated prices.

Barça, of course, would have sold the returned tickets for big money themselves.

This might be the last time tourists are able to bag themselves a Clasico ticket on the black market.