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Official statement

RCD Espanyol has decided to appeal against the RFEF Competition Committee's sanction proposal that would mean the closure of the Stage Front Stadium for two matches as a result of the events that occurred at the end of the last Barcelona derby on 14th May 2023.

RCD Espanyol has always spoken out against any violent act or behaviour that could tarnish the image of the entity and our fans. In this sense, our Club has always faced its responsibilities by acting in an exemplary and proactive manner when situations have occurred that violated the values of the Club and the sport. In addition, in the case at hand and as the security forces themselves have recognised, RCD Espanyol had all the means and measures necessary for a match like the one in question last May, collaborating from minute one with everything required by the authorities and with the security forces themselves.

As we have reiterated on multiple occasions, these behaviours have no place in football or in society and we will continue to act in the most forceful way to eradicate them from our facilities.

However, we understand that a disproportionate criterion is applied here, inconsistent with other cases that affects the entire club and season ticket holders from all sectors of the Stadium. A sanction that we consider disproportionate by the Competition Committee, applying in our opinion an exemplary aggravating circumstance that lacks legal grounds or tangible support beyond biased value judgments.

Therefore, in defence of our legitimate interests and those of our fans, we will exhaust all means of appeal and protection at our disposal.