English Premier League
Pau Cubarsi condemns ‘excessive force’ after Elche fan incident
Pau Cubarsi has publicly criticised the police response to an incident involving a Barcelona supporter carrying a Catalan independence flag at Elche, saying “excessive force” must not be used in that way.
The Barcelona defender spoke out after footage circulated on social media appearing to show a fan being beaten by a group of police officers outside the Martinez Valero stadium.
The incident overshadowed Barcelona’s opening visit to Elche, despite the Spanish champions beginning their campaign with a difficult away fixture. Attention quickly shifted away from the match after videos of the confrontation spread online.
Barcelona issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it described as the use of “disproportionate” force. In a symbolic response, the club also replaced a planned tribute to Spain’s World Cup winners with the raising of a Catalan independence flag.
The decision was made in protest at the incident involving the supporter, who was carrying an estelada, the flag associated with Catalan independence.
The government’s sub-delegation said the confrontation began after the young man attacked a police officer. However, anger over the footage and the police response remained strong within Barcelona.
Cubarsi was the most direct member of the squad to address the controversy. Speaking to TV3 on the sidelines of the news conference after Thursday’s match between Barcelona and Athletic Club, the young centre-back backed the club’s position.
“It was a decision by the club, I think it was the right one given what happened in Elche. This cannot happen again; excessive force cannot be used in this way,” said Cubarsi.
His comments echoed the criticism already expressed by Barcelona’s board and underlined the extent to which the events outside the stadium had affected the club.
Cubarsi was not the first Barcelona player to show support for the fan. Team-mate Gavi had previously reacted to a post by the Sant Antoni supporters’ group, using emojis rather than words.
That gesture was viewed as a clear sign of solidarity with the Barcelona supporters who were present in Elche.
Barcelona’s decision to replace the planned tribute, together with Cubarsi’s comments, demonstrated that the club did not intend to remain silent over what it regarded as an unjustifiable incident. The controversy has therefore continued beyond the match itself, with the response from the police and the club becoming the main focus of discussion.
