Former Barcelona director says club should boycott the Copa del Rey final

María Elena Fort, a director of Barcelona when Joan Laporta was president of the club, tweeted that the club should boycott the final of the Copa del Rey to be held on 21 April against Sevilla at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid as a protest against the situation in Catalonia, where several pro-independence politicians are in jail in relation to the declaration of independence on 27 October 2017.

"The club shouldn't play the final of the Copa del Borbón [in reference to the Royal family]. For dignity. For values. For our own history. A trophy isn't more important than the dignity of our representatives. Enough of kneeling".

"Barcelona shouldn't play"

Fort, a member of the club and a candidate for the pro-independence Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) party, led by Carles Puigdemont, who fled into exile after the declaration and has this week been arrested in Germany on an extradition warrant, spoke on Catalan television to confirm her tweet: "I maintain my position. I think Barça shouldn't play this match. Don't forget we have a president who is in custody, half the Government in jail, we have intervention [in Catalonia from the state government in Madrid] and Barça can't look the other way..."

The current Barcelona board have as yet made no comment on the possibility of boycotting the Copa del Rey final.