Barcelona FC’s Spanish league title celebrations were cut short on Sunday when Espanyol supporters invaded the pitch. The fans ran towards Barca players who were singing and celebrating, causing them to leave the field in a hurry. Security guards quickly intervened to keep players safe and attempted to confront the fans, but were pushed back towards the tunnel. Riot police had to stand in front of the tunnel’s entrance with shields to prevent the fans from entering.
The jubilant players had won the match 4-2 to clinch their first league title since 2019 with four rounds to go. Barcelona coach Xavi had attempted to take his players into the locker room even before the fans’ actions. “It was a moment of celebration, euphoria” he said.
After the incident, Espanyol apologized. “We should always condemn violence, in all aspects of life,” said Espanyol coach Luis García. “Everything was done to try to keep this from happening but it wasn’t possible.”