LALIGA
Espanyol set to be hit with severe punishment after ultras chase celebrating Barcelona players
As FC Barcelona celebrated on the pitch after a 2-4 win at Espanyol, a number of hardcore fans broke the security cordon to challenge the Barça players
The scenes that accompanied FC Barcelona’s title win at city rivals have generated headlines around the world. As the LaLiga champions celebrated with backroom staff in the centre circle area, a considerable number of Espanyol fans broke the security cordon and made for the area where the Barça players were celebrating which prompted a quick exit towards the tunnel.
Espanyol statement
Shortly after the game, the club issued an official statement reflecting in the incidents:
“RCD Espanyol denounce the incident that occurred at the end of the match against FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium.
As Pericos, defeat hurts us, but we will never accept violence of any kind.
We want to thank all of the Pericos who have supported us today and throughout the season so far, despite the results on the pitch.
As we have always done, RCD Espanyol wish to express an emphatic rejection of any type of violence in the world of football and we will use all the resources at our disposal to eradicate it.
Espanyol have two more games at home this season as they face Atlético Madrid and Almería in their bid to avoid the drop with the side languishing in second last place in the table.
The club now face the consequences of the actions of the individuals who deemed it acceptable to enter the field of play and pursue the celebrating Barcelona players. A fine of up to 600,000 euro is possible along with some sort of stadium closure. The respective disciplinary bodies will now meet and assess the various number of footage sources to decide if the club should be forced to stage a game or games behind closed doors. A partial stadium closure impacting on the area where the hardcore ultras sit is another high possibility.
