The other day I travelled to Arsenal’s Emirates stadium in the company of friends from London’s Penya Blaugrana and some late arrivals from Barcelona. Half-way between the Embankment and Holloway station, we were joined by a group of Arsenal fans. At one point they tried to annoy us with the chants ‘We’ve got Cesc Fabregas, We’ve got Cesc Fabregas’ . Much as I wish that Cesc was at Barca I felt more annoyed hearing a young Catalan tell the Arsenal fans that Spain’s World Cup had left him cold.
I remembered the exchange last night, watching the Mestalla stadium give Iniesta an ovation when he was substituted during the Valencia-Barca match. Did cheering Iniesta’s goal in South Africa mark me out as anti-Barca? I don’t think so. Let’s enjoy our football, respect our players, and really demonstrate that the values of FC Barcelona include civility and tolerance.
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