Thirteen fans were injured in a car crash outside Espanyol Stadium minutes before the match against Barcelona.
A woman reportedly became nervous while driving through the crowd, which was shaking her car. She has been arrested.
A woman lost control of her vehicle and ran over at least 13 people near the RCDE Stadium in Cornellà, just before the Espanyol- FC Barcelona match , the decisive LaLiga match that has not been suspended, according to the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police), which is leading the investigation into the events and has arrested the driver. She also required medical attention.
As soon as the match began, around the ninth minute, a murmur also arose among the crowd, aware that something had happened outside. Journalists left their stands to go to the scene and report, which only increased the murmur. The referee, César Soto Grado, went to the sidelines to inquire about whether to suspend the match temporarily or permanently.
The Mossos d’Esquadra rule out the woman’s initial intention to commit a mass attack, although, as can be seen in the images circulating on social media from the very beginning, due to her nervous state and surrounded by fans shouting and hitting the vehicle, she accelerated despite the situation, ultimately crashing the car.
Why the match has not been suspended
The club informed the approximately 40,000 fans attending the match via the PA system. The home team is fighting to stay in the First Division and the visiting team is fighting for the title , which they ultimately secured.
The continuation of the match had much to do with the danger that evacuating the stadium would have posed, firstly because of the alarm that the evacuation would have caused among the crowd, which could have led to a riot; secondly, because the Mossos d’Esquadra needed to work in the area where the vehicle was traveling to begin their investigation.
One of the injured, son of García Albiol
Salvador Illa , president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, was in the presidential box at the RCDE Stadium. During halftime, he appeared before the media to echo the message from the Mossos d’Esquadra, emphasizing that there were no deaths or serious injuries to report, and that it had been an accident and not a deliberate attack.
One of the injured is the son of the mayor of Badalona, Xavier García Albiol . One of the wheels of the car, a white Peugeot, ran over one of his feet. García Albiol rushed to Cornellà to check on his son.
Eyewitnesses, speaking to Cadena SER and very upset, some in tears, considered it “a disgrace” that the match was not declared over.
Barcelona, League champion
Barcelona have won their 28th La Liga title with a goal from their star player, Lamine Yamal , who made it 1-0. Fermín added the second in added time. The final score was 2-0. Hansi Flick ‘s team has completed an outstanding season in which they have beaten all odds, also winning the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, both against Real Madrid , despite the disappointment of not having qualified for the Champions League final.
