Barcelona would not be allowed to play in La Liga if Catalonia broke away from Spain, the president of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, Javier Tebas, said as tensions mounted in the region over the possibility of an independence referendum next month.
The present Barcelona board, first under the former president Sandro Rosell and now Josep Maria Bartomeu, have taken a back-seat role in the heated debate taking place in the region about whether to hold an independence referendum on 9 November.
In the event that Barcelona did leave La Liga it would severely weaken the image of the competition at home and abroad.
Similarly it would be hard to imagine Barça and their local rivals Espanyol competing in a Catalan league, which would have many semi-professional teams.
“If Catalonia became independent, taking into consideration the Sports Law that would be enforced by the rest of Spain, Barcelona wouldn’t be allowed to play,” Tebas told a sports conference in Barcelona.
“There would have to be a change in the law made in the Spanish parliament. Clearly if it happened, then it would be detrimental for Spanish football to lose Barça who are an historic club.
“I can’t imagine the LFP without Barça. In the same way as I can’t imagine Catalonia without Spain, I can’t see La Liga without Barça. Also if it did happen what would you call the league: the Spanish League or the Iberian League?”
Barcelona supporters aligned with the former president Joan Laporta are calling on the club to be more vocal in support of the referendum.
Laporta, who was president from 2003 to 2010, wanted the club to be at the forefront of Catalan nationalist politics, which angered many fans, particularly those from other parts of Spain who felt alienated.
The present board, though, are less committal. “It is a sensitive subject and the club won’t get involved but the president is considering making a statement in the coming days,” said a Barça spokesman.
Xavi and Gerard Piqué, however, are among the Barça players who have come out in support of a referendum, following a September rally in Barcelona in favour of the vote, attended by 1.8 million people according to the police.
“We have all the right in the world to vote,” Xavi said. “We need to vote, we need the people to show their opinions and I am in favour of the referendum obviously.”
He and Piqué were or are Spain internationals and the latter says that he still gives his all when playing for La Roja. “I am Catalan and I wanted to take part in the rally,” Piqué said. “I went with friends to have a good time with the other 1.8 million that were there.
“There is no need to doubt me. I have played for the national team for 11 years and it is something different to be in favour of a referendum which is democratic. People should have the right to vote and this has nothing to do with the other.”
