Derby Fallout: Espanyol Faces Sanctions After Barcelona Showdown

Derby Fallout

Espanyol now faces the possibility of a harsh sanction following the derby against Barcelona yesterday, in La Liga's 18th round.

Barcelona won 2-0, with Espanyol fans furious after their former goalkeeper Juan Garcia lined up for Barca and walked out of the tunnel to a chorus of jeers.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Espanyol could be punished with a closed-door match because of serious offenses by some fans during the game.

The report details an incident in the 90th minute: several near-full bottles were thrown from the right-side stands as players headed for the tunnel.

Those bottles were traced to the host section and could be identified by the shirts and scarves worn by fans; fortunately no players were hurt and the club paused play without major disruption.

The same report notes that the incident has drawn renewed attention because a suspended sanction against Espanyol has hung over the club since September 26, 2024, after referee Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez was struck in the chest by a cup hurled from the stands following a league match with Villarreal.

Espanyol has previously served a behind-closed-doors sanction after the famed derby on May 14, 2023. That earlier punishment stemmed from crowd trouble during the same derby, reinforcing the ongoing scrutiny of Espanyol’s matchday conduct.

With the disciplinary panel yet to rule, the Espanyol stadium saga tests the balance between fierce fan passion and public safety.

Punchline 1: If discipline were a striker, Espanyol would finally be on target—the scoreboard would still read zero.

Punchline 2: And for the fans, sometimes the best defense is a joke; at least the punchlines travel faster than bottles.