Barcelona vs Las Palmas goes ahead behind closed doors after Barca were threatened with automatic 3-0 loss for ‘refusing to play’
BARCELONA are taking on Las Palmas behind closed doors after the club were threatened with an automatic 3-0 loss for refusing to play.
The Catalan capital has been engulfed in violence as many locals defy government laws to vote in the "illegal" Catalan independence referendum — with police forced into using rubber bullets.
The game was set to be called off after Barcelona made an official request to La Liga, but Los Mossos — the local police — confirmed they had the resources to safeguard the match.
And that meant, if the Nou Camp board had persisted with their request for a postponement, they could have been hit with a 3-0 loss as punishment.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed he wanted the game called off, but decided to play amid the threat of losing six points.
He explained: "It would have been a six-point loss — three for not playing and three as a punishment.
"After seeing our request turned down by La Liga, we decided the game should be played in a unique manner.
"We want the world to see what we are living in the Catalonia."
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Several former Barcelona icons have had their say on the situation, with Xavi calling the situation a "disgrace" and Pep Guardiola revealing he voted via email.
While Carles Puyol insists voting is a democratic right.
Barcelona host Las Palmas at 3:15pm GMT time.
Ernesto Valverde's men have enjoyed a 100 per cent start to their La Liga season, despite their perceived summer troubles.
Even if the match is postponed, Barca will maintain a two-point lead at the summit.