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 Fr...