Real Madrid will face Girona on Sunday in the 11th game of La Liga. Los Blancos will travel to Catalonia in the middle of an unusual political situation, because the president of this Region might declare the independence on Friday, with all the unknown consequences that this might create.
Real Madrid want to travel on Saturday, rest that night in a hotel in the city centre of Gerona and then play the game on Sunday. Actually, this hotel is being already controlled by the police to guarantee the safety of the squad. This is because many people think that there is a risk in this trip, given the political circumstances.
Gerona is the hometown of the current president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, who might declare the independence on Friday. This will open an unknown scenery in Spain because the central government won’t allow it, and this might cause some demonstrations in the street.
Real Madrid have never been very welcomed to Catalonia, but Gerona is the city with more people in favour of the independence. And this will be the first time Los Blancos visit the city, so we should expect a special welcome from the supporters.
The club is thinking about not using the traditional white bus with the Real Madrid badge, because they don’t want to call the attention. The police is also working to avoid any incident but no knows how will be the atmosphere on Sunday in Catalonia.
“No one should doubt that Montilivi will respect the rival, as we’ve always done. Sunday it will be a party”, Pablo Machín, Girona coach, said in press conference.
Real Madrid are also trying to avoid polemics. Emilio Butragueño said: “We are going to play a game with the idea of winning. We are a football club and we speak about football”, the director said, although FC Barcelona is also a football club and they speak constantly about politics.
Zinedine Zidane was also asked about this in press conference before facing Fuenlabrada in the Copa del Rey: “We are going to play a football match, we are going to have the security as always. We are going to think only in preparing the game as always and we are not going to think in what could happen in a football game”.
