Banners with rats and deafening whistles. Espanyol fans give Joan García a hostile reception
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
Joan García's return to the RCDE Stadium was met with an icy reception. The former Espanyol goalkeeper, now donning the Barcelona kit, faced an openly hostile crowd—supporters have clearly not forgiven his move to their archrivals.
On the eve of the derby, flyers resembling dollar bills and bearing the phrase "Judas García" appeared around the stadium. The moment he stepped onto the pitch for the warm-up, the stands erupted with thunderous whistles and jeers.
The climax came in the 13th minute—a nod to García's shirt number. In one of the ultras sections, hundreds of cards featuring rats in Barcelona colors and pointed messages to the keeper were unfurled. From that moment, every García touch was met with a chorus of whistles and a wall of noise, further intensifying the fierce and hostile derby atmosphere.
For the record, García spent nine seasons in the Espanyol system, but last summer he made the controversial switch to Barcelona—a move many fans saw as betrayal. Due to the heightened risk of incidents, Espanyol ramped up security measures: protective nets were installed behind the goals, and the club took extra steps to avoid potential sanctions or stadium closure.
