Espanyol coach Manolo González added more excitement to the anticipated Catalan derby against Barcelona with strong statements he made before the match, which will be held on Saturday.
Espanyol hosts Barcelona on the grounds of the “Cornellà-El Prat” stadium, as part of the eighteenth round of the Spanish League Championship.
González said during the press conference that precedes the match: “Our fans must remain calm even if they are provoked by Barcelona players, they are waiting for any mistake from Espanyol to be exploited by them.”
These statements come in light of the tense atmosphere that precedes the match, especially with the “Cornellà-El Prat” fans receiving Barcelona goalkeeper Juan García, who moved to it directly from Espanyol during the last summer transfer period.
This match is the first that García plays as a visiting player at Espanyol’s stadium, after being subjected to a sharp attack from the fans after his move to Barça.
The Spanish coach added: “Barcelona has no right to claim virtue and rebuke Espanyol fans, do they remember what happened when Luis Figo returned to Camp Nou in 2000? They must be silent and stop provoking.”
It is worth noting that when Luis Figo returned to “Camp Nou” wearing the Real Madrid shirt for the first time in October 2000, he was met with a torrent of overwhelming anger from Barcelona fans, who considered him a “traitor” after his sudden move to their traditional rival, and the reactions included insults and raising offensive banners.
