October 20 – Amid the euphoria of beating Olympiakos 3-1 on Tuesday despite playing a large chunk of the game with 10 men, Barcelona fans unveiled a massive banner reading ‘Dialogue, Respect and Sport’ before kick-off, calling for a resolution to the political crisis between Catalonia and the Spanish central government.
The Champions League fixture was the first at the Nou Camp since the infamous La Liga clash with Las Palmas on October 1 was played behind closed doors in protest at the police crackdown on the banned independence referendum.
“In such a complicated, difficult situation in Catalonia, Barcelona has to take a stand and our position is very clear – we want dialogue,” Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Barça TV. “By speaking people understand each other and come to points of agreement.”
“We also ask for respect for everyone involved in such a complex situation in Catalonia and respect for Barça.”
“And finally sport because we are a sporting club, not just in football but basketball, hockey, handball and we will continue to compete on the field.”
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