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Football at heart of Catalonian identity

The conflict between Catalonia and Spain has spilled over on to the football pitch. Last Sunday’s game against Las Palmas was played behind closed doors at the Nou Camp. Even so, two members of the Barcelona board quit in protest, saying that the game should not have been played at all as violence raged outside.

Barcelona is an important symbol of Catalan identity and their rivalry with Real Madrid is legendary. Real had historical associations with the Franco regime and the Spanish royal family. The Spanish king Felipe took a hard line in his address to the nation this week. I was quite surprised by this as he struck me as moderate and well-informed when I met him as Crown Prince in 2012, but I suppose that Spanish unity is his priority.

Catalonia’s sports minister has said that Barcelona may apply to join the Premier League if his country becomes independent, along with other Catalan teams in La Liga such as Espanyol and Girona. Alternatively, they might apply to join the French or Italian leagues. He has pointed out that Monaco play in the French league and Welsh clubs play in the English league. However, Scottish clubs such as Celtic and Rangers have been barred from taking part in English leagues which they feel would offer them a higher standard of competition but which could risk Scotland’s distinct international status.

Gerard Pique, the Barcelona defender, who plays for Spain has come under criticism as a supporter of Catalan independence. He has become a poster boy for Catalan independence, but is booed when he plays for the national team. He got an angry reception when he trained with Spain last week. He fought back tears as he volunteered to step aside from international football. Sergio Ramos, his central defensive partner and Spanish captain, has criticised him for encouraging Catalans to vote. However, Pique has decided to stay in the international side as leaving would represent a victory for those who boo and whistle.

With both sides in the dispute taking an intransigent position, and memories reviving of the Spanish civil war which saw Barcelona and Madrid on different sides, Pique has appealed for dialogue rather than a new resort to violence. FC Barcelona has also called for dialogue.

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