FC Barcelona has decided to suspend the tribute planned for this Thursday to its eight players who are world champions with Spain before the league match against Athletic Club. Instead, the club will support an event in defense of the estelada, after the incident that occurred in Elche between National Police agents and a blue-and-burgundy fan who was carrying one of these flags.
The decision affects the recognition that the Royal Spanish Football Federation had scheduled as part of the World Cup tour through the stadiums of the clubs with internationals from the Spanish national team.
The RFEF had set for this Thursday, August 27, the tribute at Camp Nou to Rodrigo, Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Lamine Yamal, the eight Barça players who were part of the champion national team.
Joan Laporta has explained that the recognition stemmed from an initiative by the Federation, but he believes that the current circumstances advise canceling it.
"The context and the moment are not the most appropriate," said the blue-and-burgundy president, who assures that the club has already communicated the decision to the RFEF. "Football should serve to unite and not to generate certain confrontations," he added.
The ANC will distribute 10,000 esteladas
The cancellation coincides with the mobilization promoted by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural for fans to attend the match with esteladas.
The ANC has announced that it will distribute 10,000 independence flags in the surroundings of Camp Nou before the match, scheduled for 21:00 hours.
Laporta has publicly supported this mobilization and defended the right of fans to display the estelada in the stadiums. According to the Barça president, this symbol expresses "the longings for freedom and the will to be free of many culers and Catalans."
The match against Athletic will be the first official match of Barça this season at Spotify Camp Nou, after the league debut played away against Elche.
The origin of the decision: the incident in Elche
The change of plans comes after what happened in the surroundings of the Martínez Valero stadium before the Elche-Barça.
The club later denounced a police action against blue-and-burgundy members and fans and described the use of force by National Police agents as "disproportionate."
One of the episodes that sparked the controversy affected a fan who was carrying an estelada.
Laporta has intensified his criticisms this Wednesday and has defined the images as "chilling." He has also demanded that the events be investigated and that, if applicable, "the corresponding sanctions be applied."
The president has indicated that Barça has made itself available to the affected fan and his family.
Barça had already honored its champions in Elche
The cancellation of the event planned at Camp Nou does not mean that the Blaugrana players have not received any recognition after winning the World Cup.
Before the match in Elche, the world champions of Barça were already honored on the pitch of Martínez Valero, in an event in which Laporta himself also participated.
The RFEF had designed a series of recognitions in the stadiums of the six Spanish clubs with international champions: Atlético de Madrid, Athletic Club, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and Celta.
The World Cup has already passed through the Metropolitano and San Mamés. This Wednesday, the event of Real Madrid is scheduled, and on Thursday, the one for Barça was supposed to take place, now canceled.
A precedent at Camp Nou
The massive presence of esteladas in the Blaugrana stadium is not new.
In 2016, Camp Nou already hosted a mobilization of this type during a Champions match against Manchester City, when numerous fans displayed esteladas in support of Carme Forcadell.
Ten years later, the independence flag will again occupy a central place in the lead-up to a Barça match, this time following a police incident and coinciding with the club's decision to suspend the tribute to its world champion internationals.