Betis match called off

The scheduled fixture would have seen both teams deprived of their international players as they joined up with their countries ahead of next weekend's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and was also three days after Atletico's European Super Cup clash with Chelsea.

A statement on the LFP's website read: "The Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation has given its agreement to the postponement of the match Betis-Atletico Madrid on the third matchday of La Liga.

"The meeting was originally scheduled for September 3, 2012 and will now be played at a new date to be determined."

Betis had expressed their unwillingness to call off the match at such short notice and club president Miguel Guillen told a press conference: "Atletico are defending their interests, it is legitimate, but the way it has happened seems to us indecent and outrageous.

"We are disappointed a body like the LFP have not deigned to pick up the phone and inform stakeholders of the problem. We learned through the media that a deal had been agreed before the first fax was received."

With arrangements already in place for matchday staffing and policing, Guillen added: "The legal department is studying the possibility of claiming damages for the logistics employed.

"Today it seems the schedules are set more in line with the interests of television stations than fans. If this continues, the stadiums will be empty and people will have to subscribe to pay TV to watch their team."