FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique spoke to the press, fighting back tears as he spoke about an emotional day for the city and the entirety of Catalonia. "It has been a tough today,” he said after Barcelona’s 3-0 victory to an empty Camp Nou over UD Las Palmas.
"I am Catalan. I feel Catalan, today more than ever,” he said, almost crying. “I feel proud for the people of Catalonia.”
The game was played with no fans in attendance as a protest against the Spanish police’s actions towards people wanting to vote for the independence referendum, which the Spanish government declared illegal.