Yesterday ANC, Drets, Òmnium Cultural and the Platform ProSeleccion Catalans distributed 30,000 independence flags around Camp Nou before the game between FC Barcelona and Bate Borisov and Barça’s fans whistled the official anthem of the Champions League. At the whistle of the fans towards the European body and cries of “independence” was added a giant banner with the slogan “Respect”.
UEFA wants to sanction with 40,000 € FC Barcelona after the independence flags displayed against Bayer Leverkusen, after an initial fine of 30,000 € for the same thing at 2015 Champions League final in Berlin. Present at the stadium, UEFA delegate, Karl-Erik Nilsson, standing president of The Sweden Football Federation and ex-international referee, took note of what happened and pictures of the wide deployment of independence flags throughout the game, especially at minutes 17 and 14 seconds when Barça’s fans make a cry for independence (1714 is the year when Catalonia lost it’s Independence).
It was also revealed that among the response actions prepared there is a letter from a group of FC Barcelona member for the Catalan MEPs to ask UEFA to modify it’s disciplinary rules so they don’t violate the right of freedom of expression.
