Camp Nou pays tribute to the victims of the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils

The first league game of the 2017/18 season between FC Barcelona and Betis will be remembered not for the result. Instead it will be remembered as the day Camp Nou remembered the victims of the tragedies that struck at the hearts of both Barcelona and Cambrils last Thursday. Before the game a minute’s silence brought both teams together and after which the fans chanted loudly “we are not afraid.”

The image of the Barça players in their shirts which instead of bearing their names as normal, on this occasions bore the word ‘Barcelona’ above each number, was a fitting tribute to the 14 people who died in the attacks, to their families, the people of Barcelona and Cambrils and the members of the emergency services and all those who showed their support in the wake of the tragedy.

Since last Thursday, the day of the first terrorist attack on the Rambla in Barcelona, the Club has expressed its sadness and its total condemnation of the attacks as well as giving all its support to the victims and all those affected. The flags at Camp Nou and the Ciutat Esportiva have flown at half-mast since the day of the attacks and players from Barça from all sports and age groups have worn black armbands during their matches.

Barça put their support behind the hashtag #TotsSomBarcelona on social media and it was visible against Betis on the front of their shirts, on a canvas at the entrance to the main stand as well as a banner placed alongside both teams before kick off in the game between Barça and Betis. The Andalusian club also added their support as their players took to the field wearing a shirt with the slogan ‘Real Betis with Barcelona.’

Institutional support

In the Presidential Suñol Box, all guests received black ribbons and 14 seats in the box remained empty and were covered with black material as a sign of condolence with regards to the 14 fatalities officially announced at the current time.

The Club invited various representatives from various institutions and from the emergency services. The president Josep Maria Bartomeu and vice president of the Area of Institutional and International Relations, Carles Vilarrubí welcomed the Councillor of the Interior from the Generalitat, Joaquim Form, first deputy mayor of Barcelona, Gerardo Pisarello, the mayor of Cambrils, Camí Mendoza, major from the Catalan police force, the ‘Mossos d’Esquadra, Josep Lluís Trapero and the Director General of the Police, Pere Soler.