Barcelona’s Four Major Supporter Groups Issue Joint Statement: Strongly Condemn Excessive Police Action in Spain

According to Mundo Deportivo, a confrontation occurred on Sunday ahead of Barcelona’s La Liga match against Elche, prompting several major Barça supporter groups to issue a joint statement.

During the incident, Spain’s National Police confiscated several Catalan “Estelada” flags and allegedly assaulted and arrested a Barcelona fan who was waiting in line to enter the stadium.

The four major Barcelona supporter groups — Nostra Ensenya, Almogàvers, Front 532 and Supporters Barça — expressed their solidarity with the fan and strongly condemned what they described as “excessive and completely unjustified” police action.

The four groups stated that the incident in Elche was not an isolated case, but rather reflected a troubling trend that is “gradually becoming normalized during away trips by football supporters.” In their statement, they denounced “police violence, arbitrary identity checks and excessive use of sanctions,” arguing that such practices “seriously affect supporters who remain firmly committed to supporting their team, both at home and away.”

The supporter groups believe that this kind of repression affects fan groups across many clubs, but that Barcelona supporters face an even more serious situation “simply because of their Catalan identity.”

Regarding the Elche incident specifically, they insisted that the police actions were motivated by “ideological prejudice” and argued that they constituted an infringement on freedom of expression.

Before the joint statement was released, Barcelona had already publicly condemned the actions of the National Police ahead of the match. The club described the arrest of the fan as “grossly disproportionate,” questioned the alleged use of excessive force by the police, and stated that it would provide the affected supporter with all necessary assistance.

At the end of their statement, the supporter groups called for concrete measures to put an end to what they described as a growing pattern of repression. They emphasized that the ultimate goal is to ensure that future away trips can take place with “strict respect for fundamental human rights and guarantees of personal safety.”