"Games between Barcelona and Espanyol have been highly heated in recent years, with one very vivid memory being that of the Blaugrana winning La Liga at the RCDE Stadium and the entry of fans onto the field to stop celebrations. A similar situation also unfolded last year, and one also remembers how a woman ran over a crowd of Espanyol fans in the last derby played at Cornella."
"As relayed by SPORT in a recent report, the game between Barcelona and Espanyol scheduled for January 3rd has been labelled a high-risk game by the Permanent Commission of the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport. One particular factor that aggravates the potential of unrest on the night is the transfer of Joan Garcia to Barcelona in the summer and how Espanyol were fuming with the goalkeeper's decision to sign for their arch-rivals."
"Espanyol will be required to reinforce security in certain areas of the field on the night and there will also be additional security measures in the ticket sales system, including exhaustive access control. Further, there is expected to be a ban on carrying the Barcelona logo or crest into the RCDE Stadium on the night to prevent any unrest. The Blaugrana, for their part, will be looking to take all three points at the venue to continue their flying form in the league."
Barcelona will play Espanyol on January 3, 2026 in a Catalan derby labelled high-risk by the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport. Recent derbies have been heated, including fans entering the RCDE Stadium after Barcelona won La Liga and an incident where a woman ran over a crowd at Cornella. The transfer of goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Espanyol to Barcelona in the summer intensifies tensions ahead of the match. Espanyol must reinforce security in certain field areas and implement stricter ticket access controls. A ban on carrying the Barcelona logo into the RCDE Stadium is expected. Barcelona aim to win to maintain their strong league form while Espanyol have also started the season well.
Read at Barca Universal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]