Barcelona
Barcelona players chased off the pitch by angry Espanyol supporters.

Barcelona’s La Liga victory celebrations were cut short as Espanyol fans invaded the pitch and stormed at them, forcing them to flee to the safety of the locker room. Before things became violent, the Blaugrana players were dancing around in the centre circle, hand in hand, celebrating their La Liga triumph at the home of their local rivals.

A group of Espanyol fans made their way onto the pitch and began chasing down the Barcelona players. As a result, the players dashed towards the dressing room for safety, and video footages indicate that every member of the Barcelona team made it inside before being challenged by enraged supporters.

Barcelona
Barcelona players celebrating La Liga title win at the home of their local rivals Espanyol. Credits: Twitter

Barcelona’s La Liga celebrations overshadowed by terrorizing away fans

While Xavi’s side needed a win to seal the title, they put on a fantastic performance at their local rivals’ home, with a 4-2 win thanks to a brace from Robert Lewandowski either side of Alejandro Balde’s goal and Jules Kounde’s header before the hour mark. The victory pushed Barcelona 14 points ahead of archrivals Real Madrid with only four games remaining, an insurmountable margin.

Xavi is now in charge at Camp Nou, having won the second title in his first full season in charge. In January, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia to win the Spanish Super Cup. It is Barcelona’s first La Liga title since 2019, when Lionel Messi was still in charge and Xavi had departed from the game.

A huge number of Espanyol fans from the ultras section behind one of the goals ran onto the field and made their way to the players who were singing and celebrating in the centre. Security guards rushed in to protect the players and club executives. Some of the guards attempted to engage the supporters but were pushed back into the tunnel.

Riot cops had to stand with shields in front of the tunnel’s entrance to prevent spectators from entering. The fans flung chairs and other things before dispersing peacefully. Even before the supporters’ antics, Barcelona coach Xavi attempted to pull his players inside the locker room. The Catalan manager told Movistar in his post match presser:

“It was a moment of celebration, euphoria, it was normal, but we were not in our home and at one point I felt that it was more respectful if we went back into the locker room.”

Espanyol coach Luis Garcia to apologised on the behalf of the club for the incident at the RCDE Stadium during the derby. Garcia said:

“We should always condemn violence, in all aspects of life. Everything was done to try to keep this from happening but it wasn’t possible.”

After a terrible evening, Espanyol fans reacted angrily. They were not only thrashed by their local rivals in a game that saw the Camp Nou side seal the league title, but their chances of avoiding relegation from the top flight were also shattered. With four games remaining, they are second-bottom of the standings and four points from safety.

An investigation into the violence is undoubtedly underway, and Espanyol may face sanctions as a result of their fans’ outrageous actions. Meanwhile, when Barcelona plays Real Sociedad on Saturday, they will have another opportunity to celebrate their title victory in the safety of their home stadium and in front of their supporters.