FC Barcelona has gone on strike in protest against “the serious events which took place during the day of the Catalan referendum on independence”.
The entire club will remain closed while all players, except those away on international duty, will neither train nor play. The official Barcelona museum will also be closed.
Official reports say that around 750 people were injured by security forces after turning out to vote in the Catalan independence referendum, which was deemed illegal by the Spanish government.
Attempts to shut down the polls by Spain’s Guardia Civil led to clashes described by Catalonia president Carles Puigdemont as “unwarranted, irrational and irresponsible”.
The police used rubber bullets and baton charges against citizens attempting to vote and even attacked the local fire brigade when it tried to defend local residents.
Gerard Pique, meanwhile, offered to quit the Spanish national team following events in Catalonia on Sunday, and the Barcelona defender was greeted by fans declaring him an “a***hole” and calling for his exit on Monday night.
Pique, 30, has joined up with Spain in Madrid on Monday and took part in training at Las Rozas – on the outskirts of the city – during the early part of the evening.
Full Barcelona statement regarding the strike:
FC Barcelona has decided to join the country-wide strike called by ‘Taula per la Democrà cia’ (Table for Democracy), a group comprising of various trade unions and other entities from Catalonia brought together to protect Catalan institutions, and therefore the Club will remain closed on 3 October. The day of action seeks to bring together all those people who on 1 October, whether they voted or not, were left indignant by the serious events which took place during the day of the Catalan referendum on independence.
As such, on 3 October the Club will remain closed during the entire day and as such none of the professional teams nor the youth teams at FC Barcelona will train on the day. The Tour Camp Nou Experience and the Museum, as well as the OAB, will be closed.
We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.
