RCD Espanyol protest against two game stadium closure for Barca invasion

RCD Espanyol have protested after the Competition Committee handed them a two-match ban for the pitch invasion in last season's Espanyol-Barcelona match in Cornella.

"RCD Espanyol wishes to express its total disagreement with the, in our opinion, disproportionate and unjust sanction imposed by the Competition Committee on the club, which would lead to the closure of the Stage Front Stadium for two matches as a result of the events that took place at the end of the last derby, and we will appeal the sanction to all possible levels," said the club in a statement.

"RCD Espanyol has always expressed its opposition to any violent act or behaviour that could tarnish the image of the club and our fans. In this sense, our club has always faced up to its responsibilities by acting in an exemplary and proactive manner when situations have arisen that have gone against the values of the club and sport. 

"Furthermore, in the case in question, and as the security forces themselves have recognised, RCD Espanyol had all the means and measures necessary for a match such as the one played last May, collaborating from minute one in everything required by the authorities and the security forces themselves.

"As we have reiterated on many occasions, such behaviour has no place in football or in society and we will continue to act in the most forceful manner to eradicate it from our facilities.

"We understand, however, that here a disproportionate and inconsistent criterion is being applied to other cases that affect the entire club and season ticket holders in all sectors of the stadium. A sanction that we consider disproportionate on the part of the Competition Committee, applying in our opinion an exemplary aggravating circumstance that lacks any legal basis or tangible support beyond biased value judgements.

"Therefore, in defence of our legitimate interests and those of our fans, we will exhaust all avenues of appeal and protection available to us."