barcelona players celebrating Laliga Had to leave in a hurry after Sunday’s title win espanyol The fans invaded the pitch and started running towards him.
A large group of Espanyol supporters from the “Ultra” fan section behind one of the goals jumped onto the field and headed towards the players who were singing and celebrating in the center circle after Barca. 4-2 win,
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Security guards immediately intervened to keep the players and club officials safe. Some guards confronted the fans, but were pushed back towards the tunnel. Riot police had to stand with shields in front of the entrance to the tunnel to prevent fans from following the players.
Supporters threw chairs and other objects before dispersing without further incident.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez had already tried to usher his players into the changing rooms before the fans erupted.
“It was a moment of celebration, excitement, it was normal, but we were not in our house and at one point I felt it was more respectful if we went back to the locker room.”
Espanyol apologized for the incident at the RCDE stadium in the Barcelona derby.
“We must always condemn violence in all aspects of life,” said Espanyol coach Luis Garcia. “Everything was done to prevent this from happening but it was not possible.”
Barcelona clinched their first league title since 2019 with a win with four rounds remaining. After this defeat, Espanyol remained in second place.
On Monday, LaLiga launched an investigation into the incidents after the match and said they would work with Espanyol to identify the perpetrators. Laliga said a decision on possible penalties would be made in due course.
