Barcelona boss Xavi admitted he ordered his players off the pitch after their La Liga title win at Espanyol.
La Blaugrana eased to their first league title since 2019 with a tense 4-2 derby win at the RCDE Stadium.
Victory against their Catalan rivals wraps up the league crown, with four games left to play, but Barcelona’s celebrations were delayed.
Fan restrictions at Espanyol were mirrored by the team opting not to lift the trophy on away turf with Xavi’s players celebrating in centre circle at full time.
Culers, this one is for YOU! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/tliyGm327Q
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 14, 2023
Despite not partaking in a formal trophy acceptance, the Barcelona’s party angered the home fans, with Espanyol ultras breaking past security and onto the pitch.
Barca enjoying the moment but now being chased off pitch by Espanyol fans pic.twitter.com/UfKv78NPOS
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) May 14, 2023
The Barcelona players fled the field, under security advice, with angry exchanges in the tunnel showing Sergio Busquets enraged by the situation.
— Piero ☝️🩸 (@jj_piero) May 14, 2023
Xavi admitted he was disappointed by the scenes and confirmed he told the players to leave the pitch to avoid further confrontations.
“Celebrating is normal, but I understand we’re not at home and you can’t be disrespectful”, as per reports from Marca.
“I know it’s difficult to control, but I told the players the best thing was to go inside.”
