Thirteen people sustained injuries after a car collided with fans outside the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat before the much-anticipated derby match between Espanyol and Barcelona on Thursday. Barcelona secured the La Liga title with a victory during the match, but the incident caused a delay as police coordinated with the referee.
According to Barcelona police, four of the injured were transported to the hospital, although none of their injuries were classified as serious. Authorities reassured that the event posed no threat to supporters inside the stadium. The vehicle's driver has been detained on charges of dangerous driving, compounded by the resulting injuries.
Footage circulating on social media depicted the car halting between refuse bins, surrounded by fans, before it accelerated into the crowd. The crash happened while Espanyol supporters had assembled to greet their team's coach ahead of the match.
Emergency services were quick to respond, dispatching ten ambulances to the scene. While the most significant injury reported was a broken leg, Salvador Illa, the president of the Government of Catalonia, who was attending the game, remarked, "It was an accident, some people were injured, but not seriously. There are no major incidents to report," during an interview with Spanish channel Movistar Plus.
