Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.
It’s been a week of punishments, bans and social justice this week in Spain, in between all of the transfer business. And Barcelona were even involved in any of it.
At least not directly. The Competition Committee have been recommended a two-game stadium ban for Espanyol, after they chased off Barcelona players who were celebrating their La Liga title at the RCDE Stadium. Fede Valverde is in line for a five-game absence at the start of next season, which is the punishment for punching Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena in April. The Uruguayan waited for Baena in the car park after their match at the Santiago Bernabeu, and took out Baena who was looking at his phone. Some have pointed out that seems generous if anything, given Sergio Canales was given four games for asking the referee to stop chatting to him about his life off the pitch.
Meanwhile the tragic killing of 17-year-old Nahel in France saw both Barcelona defender Jules Kounde and Aurelien Tchouameni ask questions of both the media, social media and the police in their native country, with varying responses.
“Now what? Social networks are noisy for a bit. Then we resume the course of our lives until another mother, another family wakes up one morning to learn that one of their own is gone.”
Aurelien Tchouameni has asked for action in France, after the tragic police killing of Nahel. pic.twitter.com/CT7TEluVd9
— Football España (@footballespana_) June 29, 2023
Ilkay Gundogan arrived at Barcelona this week in what many are considering a coup, but now they have little money left, and are considering replacing Sergio Busquets with former Chelsea and Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu, currently at Girona. They do not seem to be able to afford Marcelo Brozovic from Inter.
Real Madrid claim they are done with their business…
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