When 18 years ago the Spanish team played its last game in Catalonia Gavi I wasn’t born yet Luis Enrique he still had a few months to hang up his boots. In the Parliament of Catalonia there were only 16% independentists, three times less than now (52%). Barça only had one European crown in its showcases, just like a Spain afflicted with the curse of the quarterfinals. That team that on February 18, 2004 directed Inaki Saez beat Peru (2-1) with a young Xavi on the lawn of Montjuïc. No one could have imagined then, not only that Spain would achieve two continental crowns and one world championship in less than a decade, but also that it would take almost two decades to play on Catalan territory again. Fernando Torres, who was three years old when Baraja scored the last goal in Barcelona, opened the scoring in Cornellà-El Prat. And when Albania looked like it was going to water it down, Daniel Olmo He completed the Spanish party with a great goal in the 90th minute (2-1).
The summer of 2010, when the Plaza España in Barcelona filled up to celebrate the World Cup, was also the beginning of a decade of pro-independence demonstrations, after the ruling of the Constitutional Court that lit the fuse by overthrowing the Statute. Even though Luis Enrique would like to distance itself from non-sporting issues, the friendly Albania has been a political demonstration since long before the ball began to roll.
This Saturday Cornellà was dyed red two hours before the match. A 50-meter ‘rojigualda’ was deployed next to the gate of the stadium and both there and in the crowded bars near Espanyol’s home, chants could be heard, some with political overtones, such as “Spain one and not 51”, and other more humorous ones, like “Raúl, selection”.
35,544 viewers
If in that last match on Catalan soil there were just 23,680 spectators in the stands (7,000 of them Peruvians), this Saturday 35,544 almost completely filled the RCDE Stadium. “Barcelona with the national team”, shouted the stands before a huge flag was unfurled behind one of the goals with this motto and an image of the iconic monuments of the Catalan capital. It will be necessary to see if after returning to play in the Barcelona province the selection also returns to the Olympic city.
“What will happen, what mystery will there be, it can be my big night”, thundered raphael from the PA just after the lineups. A song that seemed to sum up the feeling of a fan that she had longed for that moment for a long time. A crowd that began to shout “I am Spanish, Spanish, Spanish” as soon as the lineups finished, the most sung song during the night, in close competition with “long live Spain”. “It’s Spain, Catalonia, it’s Spain, Catalonia”, “stand up if you’re Spanish” and “being from Spain makes me happy” were other songs that were heard the most.
pedri was the one that received the most cheers from a crowd that also chanted the name of Iniesta. The Canarian midfielder seems to have also become in La Roja the heir to the author of South Africa’s historic goal, who had not even made his debut when Spain played their last game in Catalonia.
? This kiss is for all of you.
??????́?… THANK YOU for your tireless encouragement!!#VamosSpain pic.twitter.com/YtcSC0oopQ
– Spanish Soccer Team (@SeFutbol) March 26, 2022
If the 2004 team had an air of fatalism, it once again thinks big thanks to Luis Enrique: after brushing the final of the European Championship and the title of the League of Nations, the Red exudes optimism and is in the wagon of the World Cup favourites. Despite this, in the first half there was more rhythm in the stands than on the scoreboard and on the pitch.
Related news
After the resumption there was still more movement in the seats, which before dedicating themselves to making the wave became a sea of mobile lights, accompanied by the Spanish anthem to the rhythm of “lolololololololololo”. Minutes later the shouts of “Puigdemont in prison“, before the public address system thanked Espanyol and the Catalan federation for having made it possible for 35,554 people to fill Cornellà. “Thank you Catalonia, thank you Barcelona, thank you fans.”
final explosion
Albania seemed ready to spoil the party when Ferran Torres emerged to score the first goal on Catalan soil since Baraja’s against Peru. The stands exploded and continued to enjoy their particular ‘karaoke’ until David Ray, who made his debut with the national team in his Cornellà where he grew up, conceded 1-1 in Uzuni. “We are going to win this game” and “go for them” pushed the fans, before Olmo completed the party with a great goal in the 90th minute. After the final whistle, the players came out to applaud the fans, who sang with the public address system the “long live Spain”.