Esteladas are not banned at the Copa del Rey final

Esteladas are not banned at the Copa del Rey final

La afición culé podrá lucir las esteladas que quiere en el Metropolitano
La afición culé podrá lucir las esteladas que quiere en el Metropolitano | VALENTÍ ENRICH

Barcelona fans can carry the controversial version of the flag of Catalonia

Concepción Dancausa, delegate of the government in Madrid, twisted the Sports Law in 2016 to verbally prohibit the presence of estalada flags in the Copa del Rey final played by Barça and Sevilla at the Vicente Calderón.

It was based on article 2.1, which vetoes "banners, symbols, emblems or legends" that "incite, encourage or help the performance of violent or terrorist behaviors" from coming into the stadium. It equated, in this way, the estelada with terrorism and violence. In short, the estelada incites hatred, according to Dancausa.

The club battled the ban and won. "In no case has it been proven that the display of the estelada can incite violence, racism, xenophobia or any other form of discrimination that threatens human dignity,” said a Madrid court in May 2016. This ruling is still valid, so fans who wish to come to the final on April 21 in the Metropolitano against Sevilla can do with an estelada flag if they wish.

However, what is now being discussed is the legitimacy of Barça to be able to defend the rights of its socios, something that was denied then, rectified later and now denied again by the TSJM. The reason given by this court is that "as it is seen, the club does not defend the right of its members to carry flags of certain political tendencies", so "the defence of freedom of expression for some of them would imply a breach of the purpose for which it was created.”

They tell Barça to dedicate themselves to football and not to fight for the freedom of their socios. The club now is working out if they will battle this judgment before the constitutional court.