Espanyol fans attack Barcelona players after celebrating title on pitch

Barcelona players were forced to flee down the tunnel at the RCDE Stadium on Sunday night after infuriating home supporters by celebrating their first title win since 2019 by dancing on the pitch of their Catalan neighbours.

Xavi’s side went into the match knowing that victory at their city rivals would secure their first La Liga title in four seasons, and goals from Robert Lewandowski (two), Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé had them well on their way by early in the second half.

Espanyol, mired in a relegation fight, fought back with two late goals from Javi Puado and the former Stoke City and Newcastle United forward Joselu, but Barcelona would not be denied, winning 4-2 to take the crown.

Jubilant Barça players celebrated as the final whistle blew and were joined by members of the coaching staff as whistling from home supporters grew.

As the Barcelona players and staff joined hands to form a large circle to celebrate on the halfway line, a number of home supporters took umbrage and broke through security cordons to spill on to the pitch. Dozens more fans followed and the mood among Barcelona players turned.

Visiting staff and players were shown running for the safety of the dressing rooms as the mood turned increasingly sour. Stewards and riot police battled with supporters in an attempt to keep them away from the tunnel, where social media videos showed a number of Barcelona players looking angry as they were held back for their own safety.

 “In the end the celebration is normal,” Xavi said. “But there comes a point when we are not at home. It was respectful to leave.”

Xavi’s side sit 14 points clear of Real Madrid with four matches remaining, with Atletico Madrid two points further back. Espanyol, meanwhile, remain 19th and four points from safety in the bottom three, with four matches left.