By Enitan Abdultawab
Barcelona shelved plans to honour the club’s eight Spain internationals who helped the country win the World Cup, following a dispute over the treatment of a fan carrying a Catalan pro-independence flag.
The tribute was initially scheduled for Barcelona’s first La Liga home game of the season against Athletic Bilbao.
However, the club decided against the ceremony after a Barcelona supporter had his estelada, a flag associated with Catalonia’s independence movement, confiscated by police before the team’s away fixture against Elche.
The incident escalated after the young supporter reportedly confronted the officers and was struck with batons before being detained. Barcelona subsequently criticised the police action and expressed regret over the confiscation of the flag.
The club described the estelada as “a legally endorsed symbol”, arguing that displaying it was “a legitimate exercise of freedom of expression.” Barcelona added that the flag’s display “cannot in itself be considered an incitement to hatred or violence.”
The club also said the manner in which the supporter was detained was disproportionate, stating that “the use of force lacked the necessary justification and appropriateness.”
The controversy took on a wider political dimension ahead of Thursday’s match, with a Catalan organisation distributing about 10,000 estelada flags to supporters outside Camp Nou.
Thousands of fans later raised the flags during Barcelona’s anthem, while some supporters also marched near the stadium carrying the pro-independence symbols.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta described the display as a peaceful “act of exaltation of the estelada”, saying it reflected Catalans’ right to freedom of expression.
Explaining why the tribute to the Spain players was dropped, Laporta said it was “not the most appropriate moment”, stressing that “soccer must unite, not generate confrontations.”
Barcelona had been expected to celebrate its eight World Cup winners, the highest number of players from any club in the Spain squad. The players are Joan García, Eric García, Pedri, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Rodri, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal.
While other Spanish clubs honoured their World Cup-winning players in ceremonies supported by the Spanish football federation, Barcelona opted to avoid a similar celebration amid the controversy.
Despite the off-field tensions, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the league fixture courtsey of goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez.
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