Two Global Sporting Events To Be Held In Spain Under Terror Attack Shadow

While Spain mourns following the terror attacks in Catalonia, security will be in the spotlight as two global sporting events get under way this weekend in La Liga and the Vuelta cycling race.

After a three-month summer break, La Liga returns with 10 matches over the weekend, including three on Saturday, among them Atletico Madrid's trip to newly-promoted Catalan outfit Girona.

Thousands of police officers and security personnel will be mobilised in and around Spanish stadiums.

The Vuelta, one of cycling's three Grand Tours, begins in the French city of Nimes on Saturday but the three-week race enters Spain on Tuesday with a stage finishing in Tarragona. Thousands of spectators will line the route.

Tarragona is only 20 kilometres along the Mediterranean coast from Cambrils, where a car rammed into pedestrians, injuring six civilians and a police officer early on Friday morning. One of the civilians later died.

That incident came just hours after the attack in Barcelona, when a white van sped down the popular Las Ramblas avenue, packed full of tourists on Thursday afternoon, knocking people down and killing 13.

Authorities in Spain -- a country obsessed with football -- have decided to go ahead with sporting events despite security fears.

The LFP, the body that runs La Liga, confirmed that top- flight matches, including Barcelona's home meeting with Betis at the Camp Nou on Sunday, would go ahead.

A minute's silence will be held before kick-offs around the country while Barcelona players will sport black armbands and players will wear shirts with 'Barcelona' replacing individual names on the back.