Fri, Dec 20, 2019 page16

• Barcelona, Real Madrid draw attracts protesters

  • AFP, BARCELONA, Spain
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  Barcelona and Real Madrid on Wednesday could not be separated in a Clasico that was overshadowed by violent clashes between Catalan-independence advocates and police outside the Camp Nou.

  After being postponed in October, there were renewed fears of unrest around Spain’s most famous fixture and while the match was only briefly interrupted by yellow beach balls thrown onto the pitch, chaos ensued outside the stadium.

  Masked protesters had set bins on fire, and thrown rocks and glass bottles at police, who responded by firing foam bullets.

  

  Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann, front left, and Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, front right, vie for the ball during El Clasico at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.

  Photo: AFP

  Forty-six people were lightly injured in the clashes, including eight who needed to be taken to a medical center for extra care, local emergency services said.

  Five people were arrested, a police spokesman said.

  The protesters — many of them carrying Catalan separatist flags — began setting up barricades in the middle of the street, which they then burned, after police arrived in dozens of vans.

  

  Barcelona supporters hold banners that read: “Spain sit and talk,” during El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.

  Photo: AFP

  Inside the stadium, the match passed largely undisturbed, except for a brief pause early in the second half as dozens of yellow beach balls had to be removed by stewards.

  “There was tension in the game and I noticed when some yellow balls fell down,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. “But nothing more. We tried to give a sense of normality.”

  “Everyone wanted to see a good football match,” Real coach Zinedine Zidane said. “In that sense, I think we can be happy.”

  

  A Catalan pro-independence advocate waves an Estelada flag beside a burning barricade outside the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, during El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid on Wednesday.

  Photo: AFP

  The match was less eventful than expected, with neither Barcelona nor Real ever really at their best. Perhaps in the end, both sides were happier not to win than to lose.

  A goalless draw means that Barcelona stay at the top of La Liga, ahead of Real on goal-difference, while the historic score in league meetings between the two rivals remains 72 victories apiece.

  “More than a Clasico,” read the front page of Barcelona daily Mundo Deportivo on Wednesday morning ahead of a fixture that, while always politically charged, had assumed even greater significance than usual.

  The game was originally due to be played on Oct. 26, but was postponed due to violent protests breaking out across Catalonia after the sentencing of nine independence leaders to prison.

  In the 53 days since then, expectations swelled around what Democratic Tsunami, the Catalan independence protest group, might do to disrupt the most-watched club soccer match in the world.

  However, there was less than expected during the 90 minutes.

  In addition to the beachballs, blue banners bearing the slogan of Democratic Tsunami: “Spain, sit and talk,” were also held up.

  Four hours before kickoff, thousands had gathered at all four corners of the stadium to hold the same blue banners and wave Catalan flags, while some blocked traffic, too.

  However, the demonstrations were peaceful, in stark contrast with the ugly scenes that would come a few hours later.

  Both teams had departed from the same hotel, and aside from whistles and insults directed at the Madrid team bus, each arrived without incident.

  Club president Florentino Perez gave a thumbs-up as he walked in.

  Gareth Bale was last to get off, by which time he might have known that he was starting for the first time in four matches.

  Ramos played in his 43rd Clasico, a record for any player ever.

  For Barcelona, Sergio Busquets was included in the lineup first announced before he was swapped out for Ivan Rakitic.

  Barcelona claimed that it had been a communication error.

  If it was, it was not the first mistake of the night, with a frantic first half full of them.

  Real Madrid were the better side in the opening half an hour, although Luis Suarez might have scored early had he controled Jordi Alba’s cross at the back post.

  There was a goal-line clearance at both ends as Casemiro’s header bounced up and had to be hooked away by Gerard Pique, before Thibaut Courtois punched out to Lionel Messi, but his shot was blocked by Ramos.

  Shortly after the interval, stewards ran on to collect the beach balls and then Barcelona twice should have scored, only for Messi and Suarez both to fluff finishes in quick succession.

  Bale scored with 15 minutes left, but his provider Ferland Mendy was a fraction offside.

  Neither team wanted to go for broke in the latter stages.
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