La Diada: Guardiola, Pique, Spain and the USA fixture... Football at heart of Catalan celebrations and protests

Catalan and Barcelona flags side by side in Camp Nou
REUTERS/Albert Gea
Ben Hayward11 September 2018

More than a million people will take to the streets of Barcelona on Tuesday to mark La Diada, Catalonia’s national day, a celebration which has also doubled up as a platform in the fight for independence from Spain in recent times.

Over the past six years, the September 11th festival, which marks the fall of Barcelona during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, has seen Catalans turn out in huge numbers to call for secession and in 2017, a million citizens marched in favour of the referendum on October 1st.

That vote tor Catalans to decide their nation’s status went ahead, but was declared illegal by the Spanish state and saw ugly scenes as police used brutal force outside polling stations and against peaceful protestors on the streets.

Later, former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont made a declaration of independence, but was forced into exile to flee charges from Spain of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds after the central government dismissed his administration and dissolved the Catalan parliament.

Meanwhile, pro-independence leaders Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart were both sent to prison last October on charges of sedition and the pair remain inside to this day, almost a year later, along with seven others.

Protesters gather for a demonstration against Catalan independence and in favor of Spanish unity in Barcelona on September 9, 2018 Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Josep Lago
AFP/Getty Images/Josep Lago

Football is Catalonia is closely linked to politics, perhaps more so than in any other part of Spain. Barcelona’s ‘Mes que un club’ motto was born as a slogan representative of democratic rights and freedom during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, the Camp Nou a place where Catalans could go to speak their language (which was banned) and protest without fear of arrest.

And so it remains to an extent even now. In every home match, a large section of Barcelona fans call for independence, as well as freedom for the political prisoners in more recent times, while the ‘estelada’ (the unofficial flag for supporters of the independence movement) is prominent in the stands.

Catalan Independence - In pictures

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Also Barcelona-based, Espanyol is a club associated much more with Spain in political and ideological terms. But supporters of La Liga’s third Catalan representative, Girona, are largely in favour of independence. Puigdemont, by the way, is a famous fan.

Girona and Barcelona are the two teams in line to meet in the United States for the fixture La Liga are keen to schedule this season as part of a 15-year agreement with sports and entertainment firm Relevent, which was announced last month.

Liga president Javier Tebas, a Real Madrid fan with an extreme right-wing past who has said Spain could do with a figure like French nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen, is a staunch opponent of Catalan independence and reports have claimed the ‘estelada’ flag will be banned from the match, which is set to take place in Miami next January.

The 56-year-old has also claimed in the past that Barcelona and other Catalan clubs would not be allowed to compete in La Liga if the region breaks free from Spain, even though an agreement for their continued inclusion in the competition is considered likely by most experts.

Protests against the fixture in the United States – and Tebas – are likely to feature in today’s Diada demonstrations, along with renewed calls for independence and the release of political prisoners.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been vocal in his desire for independence and the former Barcelona boss – who wears a yellow ribbon in support of Sanchez, Cuixart and the other prisoners – sent a video message last week.

“Thousands of people wear a yellow ribbon to show their humanity,” he said. “Because women and men have been in prison for a year. Normal people who only defend ideas are in prison and have been for a year. For everyone, today, September 11th, to all of the friends in Catalonia, Barcelona, many thanks for your help.”

Guardiola went on to call for freedom for those politicians and asked Catalans to appeal to Europe and the rest of the world for help in their fight.

As a player, Guardiola represented Spain, but his pro-independence stance means he is unlikely to ever be appointed as coach of the national team – at least if the current climate continues as it is.

Xavi, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, World Cup winners and European champions with Spain, have all taken part in La Diada celebrations in years gone by. The latter suffered a big backlash from fans and has been booed in stadiums across the country – that despite never coming out in favour of independence.

Pique, who retired from Spain duty after the summer’s World Cup in Russia, always insisted he is proud to represent Spain and ahead of La Diada, his club colleague Sergio Busquets was asked about playing for La Roja. “It is a privilege and an honour to be here representing my country,” he said on Monday.

Busquets, like Pique and also Sergi Roberto, who is part of the current Spain squad, is a proud Catalan. And though it is unclear where those players stand on the independence issue, they are well aware it is left alone – publicly at least – while they are representing La Roja.

Photo: EPA
EPA

For his part, coach Luis Enrique (above) is from the northern autonomous community of Asturias, but has his residence in Catalonia after playing for and later coaching Barcelona. “It’s not looked upon well to say so, but the Catalans are amazing,” he said in an interview earlier this year. “The people, the city… they are very advanced compared to the rest of Spain, in general.”

Indeed, those quotes were not well received by many outside Catalonia and quickly resurfaced when the 48-year-old was named as the new Spain coach in July. Needless to say, Luis Enrique has some opposition both in the capital and across the country following those remarks and also, as with Pique, due to his perceived dislike of Real Madrid.

Spain meet Croatia on Tuesday night in Elche, having not played a match in Catalonia since February 2004, and many Catalans only watch La Roja these days because of the Barca players involved. Others, in the hope that they will lose.

For those Catalans, a Spain defeat would make for an even more memorable Diada. Away from the protests, however, millions of others in the region will be supporting Spain tonight. Either way, football will be at the centre of the activities once again on Tuesday.

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