Spain’s Sports Council has vowed to come down hard on the supporters who jeered the country’s national anthem in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday.
The Marcha Real was crowded out by widespread boos and whistles from both sets of Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao fans in light of their allegiances to Catalan and Basque nationalism, but Miguel Cardenal, President of the CSD, insists he will do everything to punish those accountable.
“If [the fans’] attitude is contrary to the legal system, the anti-violence commission will examine whether it’s punishable,” he told Cadena COPE.
“If [such an attitude] is found to go against the law book, [those involved] won’t remain blameless. We’re convinced that they’ll be punished.
“We have to see what means that the clubs took to prevent this from happening.
“If there are organisations who have provided material [to unruly fans] and encouraged [the jeers], they may also be held responsible.
“Once we gather all the data, we’ll be able to make a value judgment.
“The greatest responsibility lies with the fans and institutions outside football. [The jeers] were an attempt to poison a sporting event.”
