Barcelona supporters threaten boycott as fans brand La Liga giants 'hypocrites'
Barcelona supporters group Penya Almogàvers have threatened to boycott the Supercopa de Espana as the Catalan club became embroiled in a row over LGBT+ rights.
The competition will once again be played in Saudi Arabia, with Barca's semi-final against Osasuna taking place on Thursday night. Saudi is one of the most dangerous places in the world for LGBT+ people to live, with same-sex relationships illegal and punishable by the death penalty.
Ahead of the clash at Al Awal Park in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Barcelona have issued a set of safety recommendations to their fans. They were drawn up by the club and the Spanish FA, under the instruction of the Spanish Embassy in Riyadh.
One of the recommendations concerns the LGBT+ community, with Barca issuing a stern warning. It reads: "People are advised to be respectful and prudent when it comes to public demonstrations of affection.
"Indecent behaviour, including any action of a sexual nature, can lead to severe legal consequence for foreigners. Same-sex relations can also be subjected to severe penalties, as well as open displays of support for LGBTI causes, even on social media."
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That message sparked a furious response from Penya Almogàvers though. The supporters group issued a message on Twitter alongside a screenshot of that guidance and a story from the club's website supporting a new human rights initiative.
They demanded an end to Barca's hypocrisy and revealed that they would be boycotting the Supercopa while it is played in Saudi Arabia. The message read: "Enough hypocrisy from @FCBarcelona_cat!
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been personally called out by a fan group (David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)"While supporting Human Rights, recommendations are given to fans for the Super Cup match played in Saudi Arabia, a country where Human Rights are not respected. Where are the values of the club @JoanLaportaFCB? #BoicotSupercopa."
The recommendation itself drew a furious response from Zander Murray, Scotland's first openly gay professional footballer. Murray said: "Madness. 'LGBTQ+ fans risk severe penalties' should they even post about their team on socials! Or by having a social media profile in favour of LGBTQ+. Money talks eh."
The human rights story which Penya Almogàvers highlighted concerns a new campaign called 'The shirt with more history', focusing on the violated rights of millions of people. It has been launched to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In a statement on their website, Barca stated the campaign would promote the values of the club and will denounce the 'continuous violation of human rights'. Barca vice-president Rafael Yuste insisted that the club had a strong commitment to defending human rights.
Yuste said: "From FC Barcelona and the Barça Foundation we have a firm commitment to the defense of human rights. I want to take advantage of this event to remember the thousands of people who have died or disappeared during their journey, crossing seas and deserts."
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects a swathe of freedoms, including the right to love whoever you want, something which the Saudi state flagrantly ignores. Whoever wins Thursday's game will face Real Madrid in the final.
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