UD Las Palmas will play with the Spanish flag on their shirt vs Barcelona
La Liga have authorised the islanders to play with a special kit
The match against Barcelona might be suspended for security reasons
La Liga have authorised Las Palmas to play against Barcelona with a special shirt featuring the Spanish flag on its chest. Las Palmas published a statement explaining its decision.
"History has once again placed Las Palmas Sports Union in an exceptional situation at the Camp Nou. On October 30, 1977, we visited FC Barcelona on the day that an emotional Josep Tarradellas first presided over the presidential box after his exile and a monumental sixty meter senyera was displayed on the grass.
"Today UD Las Palmas pays visit on an unprecedented date for our country, the day that the Catalan Government picked for an illegal referendum, and everything that happens in the Camp Nou will have an echo on an international level. Public pronouncements in the previous days, especially those of our host, FC Barcelona, have made this official match something more than a sporting event.
"UD Las Palmas could have stayed limited to being a silent witness of this historical crossroads, or taken a side. We settle on the second. We decided to embroider on our kit a small Spanish flag and today's date, October 1, 2017, to testify without strings our hope in the future of this country and in the goodwill of those who live in it, in search of the best understanding. No matter how far away the Gran Canaria stadium is, we have never felt the least temptation to be part of a country other than this. And however complex the situation may be, we will always rely on simplifying it to better understand and find solutions.
"Today, what we do is very simple. With the Spanish flag embroidered on our shirt we want to vote unequivocally in an imaginary consultation that nobody has summoned us to: we believe in the unity of Spain. We do it from the moral authority that you want to grant to the region farthest from the capital of this kingdom. We do it to tell the world that we feel pain for what is happening. We do this trusting that no one will be bothered by this gesture. As it never bothers us to see you waving senyeras in the stands, stretched out on the grass or wrapped around our opponents bodies, once the match is over, they are compatriots who fill us with pride when they are part of one of the best teams in the world, or of one of the best national teams on the planet."
COMUNICADO OFICIAL
— UD Las Palmas (@UDLP_Oficial) 1 de octubre de 2017
https://t.co/okzQAcyTj7 pic.twitter.com/5nt9GpjnwX
