The finale of the match between Espanyol and Barcelona in Cornellà left a sour taste in many mouths. After the final whistle, Barcelona celebrated their league title on the home turf of Espanyol, a moment that should have brought jubilation for Barça and relief for their supporters. Instead, the scene quickly shifted as dozens of local radicals rushed onto the pitch, turning the celebration into a burst of chaos that forced Barça players to flee toward the dressing room tunnel for safety.
The tension did not end there. In the tunnel, the National Police faced a group of rioters who formed a blockade to restrict access to the changing rooms and protect the Barça squad. Some supporters managed to breach the security perimeter and even attempted to slip into the tunnel itself, creating a dangerous standoff that underscored how quickly a moment of triumph can spiral into trouble.
Hooded radicals armed with bars and chairs
The intruders, mostly hooded, flooded the field carrying improvised weapons such as chairs, iron bars, and sticks. Security teams on duty halted the assault as Barça players rushed to the shelter of the changing rooms, while the Mossos d
’Esquadra Mobile Brigade stepped in to block the most aggressive paths of the ultras. The episode drew sharp scrutiny of Espanyol and of the league as a whole, highlighting serious concerns about crowd control and safety at high-tension derbies.
An ESPN report captured the intensity of the moment inside the tunnel, where several Barcelona players appeared visibly irate. Sergio Busquets, in particular, voiced his anger toward the crowd while teammates from Espanyol security intervened to keep the situation from escalating further. Minutes later, Marcos Alonso, Ronald Araujo, and Ferran Torres joined the tense exchange, yet the confrontation did not spill over into something more dangerous, and calm gradually returned to a semblance of order.
In the aftermath, Espanyol issued a formal statement condemning the disruptive events. The club emphasized that the incidents were isolated and rejected any form of violence, calling for accountability and a commitment to safety for players, staff, and fans alike.
Markings of the incident appeared in subsequent reports and broadcasts, adding to a broader conversation about how matches with intense regional rivalries are managed and how security protocols can be improved to prevent a recurrence of such chaos in the future.
— Attribution: Goal