An act supporting Catalonia’s pro-independence image is organized as Barcelona hosts first sport since Spain’s World Cup win.
Printed On 27 Aug 2026
Barcelona’s World Cup winners with Spain weren’t honoured by the membership at its first residence sport of the season due to an incident involving the “estelada” flag, Catalonia’s pro-independence image.
As a substitute, an act supporting the estelada organized by an area group passed off at Camp Nou stadium, which was laden with some 10,000 small flags that have been handed to followers earlier than Thursday’s match. There have been additionally some giant flags and some banners being displayed within the stands.
Advisable Tales
checklist of 4 objectsfinish of checklist
Followers raised the flags throughout Barcelona’s anthem. Earlier than the match, a couple of thousand followers marched with the pro-independence symbols close to the Camp Nou, in accordance with native media.
Barcelona has eight World Cup champions in its squad, essentially the most of any membership, and it deliberate a tribute to them earlier than its Spanish league residence opener towards Athletic Bilbao.
Different Spanish golf equipment, in partnership with the Spanish soccer federation, had honoured their very own World Cup champions in tributes that included the airing of the World Cup trophy and the presence of Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
Barcelona stated it didn’t intend to go forward with the tribute after one among its followers had an estelada flag taken away from him by police earlier than the group’s sport at Elche final weekend. The younger fan confronted the officers, who hit him with batons earlier than detaining him.
The Catalan membership stated it regretted the confiscation of the flags from its followers, saying the estelada “is a legally endorsed image and its show constitutes a legit train of freedom of expression.” It stated “it can’t in itself be thought-about an incitement to hatred or violence.”
Barcelona stated it thought-about the “process used to detain one among our followers was disproportionate and that using drive lacked the required justification and appropriateness”.
The incident rapidly escalated to the political sphere, with native politicians expressing their opinions.
A Catalan group handed out 10,000 estelada flags exterior the Camp Nou earlier than Thursday’s sport. Barcelona membership president Joan Laporta highlighted the peaceable “act of exaltation of the estelada”, which he stated represented the Catalans’ proper to freedom of expression. Barcelona was indirectly organizing the occasion.
Laporta stated it was not “essentially the most acceptable second” to supply the tribute to the Spain gamers, including that “soccer should unite, not generate confrontations”.
Laporta stated the Spanish soccer federation understood the membership’s place.
The eight Barcelona gamers who helped Spain win its second World Cup trophy final month are Joan García, Eric García, Pedri, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Rodri, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal.
