Catalonia Violence: Barcelona Should Have Called Off Match Against Las Palmas, Guardiola Says

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola said he would not have played Sunday’s La Liga fixture against Las Palmas if he was still at Barcelona amid political tensions that marred Catalonia’s independence vote.

Barcelona continued their 100 per cent start to the league season defeating Las Palmas 3-0 in an empty Nou Camp stadium on Sunday afternoon, after club president Josep Maria Bartomeu decided to play behind closed doors in protest at widespread police violence against voters.

“Barcelona against Las Palmas should never have been played, not at all,” Catalonia-born Guardiola, told Catalan radio station RAC1.

“In Catalonia they have injured a lot of people, people who only went to schools to vote,” said the former Barca coach.

“The images are not deceptive. There were people who went to vote and they were violently attacked.”

Catalan had on Sunday voted ‘Yes’ to statehood following a contentious referendum that was marred by violence.

Spain’s government has warned it could suspend Catalan autonomy.

The constitutional court banned the vote and almost 900 people were hurt as police tried to stop it going ahead.

A Catalan spokesman said more than 750,000 votes could not be counted because polling stations were closed and urns were confiscated.