Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has dismissed the reports that striker Luis Suarez threatened Espanyol players in the tunnel after their 4-1 Copa del Rey victoryat the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
Espanyol finished the first leg of their last-16 tie with nine men after Hernan Perez and Papakouly Diop were sent off, while there were accusations that goalkeeper Pau Lopez stamped on Lionel Messi. But with ill-feeling still hanging over from the 0-0 draw between the city rivals at the weekend when Barca players accused opposition fans of racially abusing Neymar, it was Suarez's clash with Diop which caused problems after the final whistle.
According to referee Juan Martinez Munuera’s report, which has been quoted by Catalan newspaper Sport, the Senegal international told Suarez, “I shit in your whore mother”, and was shown a red card in the 75th minute.
“At the end of the game, once in the tunnel, Barca’s No.9, Suarez, Luis, while the Espanyol players were coming up the stairs, waited for them and shouted at them on various occasions,” read the report. “He said: ‘I’m waiting for you, come here! You’re a waste of space’.
“It provoked a confrontation between players of both clubs and the present security guards had to get involved, as did coaches of both teams.”
Asked about the incident, Enrique dismissed the accusation as “Christmas carols”, presumably in reference to the fact that the match was being played on Dia de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day).
“It isn’t down to the coaches or the players to keep the peace,” Enrique added. “It’s down to the referees to ensure that we play football and not American football. There was some tension. I’d like it if there were more football, fewer interruptions and no injuries.
“When someone oversteps the mark, it’s down to the referees to keep order. Of course there’s tension in these games. The players know each other, they’re two teams with a special rivalry, but that rivalry has to remain positive”.
Espanyol received a total of eight yellow cards and two reds during the match, although Andres Iniesta dismissed suggestions things had gone over the top.
“Violence is a very strong word, in games like this there’s a lot of rivalry and contact,” he said.
Guardian services
