Barcelona are confident that their fans will soon be able to freely display the Estelada flag following a first round of talks with UEFA on Friday.
La Blaugrana were fined €30,000 for the pro-Catalan independence flag being waved during the Champions League final in Berlin on June 6 but chose to accept the punishment, citing a willingness on the European body’s part to speak to them about the banner’s future use.
A statement released by Barca reads: “Barcelona have expressed their disagreement with the punishment because we believe the Estelada flag corresponds to a very old, socially-rooted and popular sentiment, which outweighs any possible political message.
“Therefore its display at a football venue should not be subject to any future sanction.
“That is why the club have chosen to engage in these meetings, in order to clarify to UEFA, both personally and verbally, the social reality of Catalan culture and the integration of the Estelada into the livelihood of both Catalans and the club.
“We are confident that a final agreement regarding the display of the Estelada during Barcelona matches will be reached.”
