- Title: El Clasico can be played in a normal atmosphere in Barcelona - Valverde
- Date: 17th October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) BARCA PLAYERS ARRIVING AT TRAINING PITCH FORWARDS LIONEL MESSI AND LUIS SUAREZ ARRIVING AT TRAINING PITCH MESSI, SUAREZ, FULL BACK JORDI ALBA AND DEFENDER GERARD PIQUE ARRIVING AT TRAINING SESSION PLAYERS AT SESSION SUAREZ, MESSI, PIQUE AND ALBA AT SESSION MESSI JOINING REST OF TEAM MATES PLAYERS DURING KEEP THE BALL DRILL BARCA COACH ERNESTO VALVERDE TALKING TO ASSISTANT PLAYERS DURING KEEP THE BALL DRILL TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS PLAYERS TRAINING BARCELONA COACH ERNESTO VALVERDE ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "Too many circumstances are being anticipated, there are nine days left before that match. It's clear things this week in Barcelona are a bit strange but there is still time and we trust ourselves, our people and to be able to play that match in our stadium which is what we want." PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "Everyone is watching those images (of violent protests) and thinking they will be transferred to that match. We don't know. It doesn't have to be that way. We have the opportunity to show a lot of things, that that match can perfectly take place and that we respect our opponent. Within basic norms of civility it can work and we can demonstrate it to everyone, it's an important match for people to watch but it's an opportunity to show the match can be held in totally normal circumstances and eliminate the thought that it can't. At the stadium people say whatever they say, evidently they will want to win as will Real Madrid, but this will happen in a natural manner." TRAINING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "These disturbances are not the norm, but we all agree that we want maximum freedom of expression. We all have our own ideas and we have to respect each other, politicians have to do their job, and over these last few days we have digressed from that." TRAINING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "There are people in politics that need to take more important steps to find points of agreement and we hope they do this. Obviously there are things that are unpleasant to watch, like what is happening over these past days in Barcelona (violent protests). We hope it's something temporary and we can move on, that's all." TRAINING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "We have taken that decision because we can foresee roads will be cut off and some marches are scheduled to arrive in Barcelona, possibly preventing us from travelling on the road and our responsibility. We will go on Saturday at one and we think that is the best move." TRAINING IN PROGRESS VALVERDE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 31st October 2019 17:21
- Keywords: FC Barcelona Barca La Liga Catalonia independence violent demonstrations in Barcelona El Clasico protests separatist protests
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1HJN0F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has called on Spanish football authorities not to suspend or move their Clasico meeting with Real Madrid out of respect for the fans, following protests and demonstrations in Catalonia.
La Liga, Spain's top football division, has requested the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) move or postpone the Oct. 26 match amid ongoing vioent protests in Catalonia over the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders.
Valverde, however, believes the match should go ahead as planned and that it would be an opportunity to show that one needs to respect one's opponent and a "civil match" can be played under "normal circumstances".
There have been protests and violent clashes with police throughout the region this week in the wake of Spain's decision to jail nine Catalan separatist leaders for their part in an illegal referendum on independence in 2017.
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