Espanyol goalscorer Lozano accuses Barcelona players of disrespect after victory
Barcelona won 4-1 against city rivals Espanyol in the latest Catalan derby on Saturday but the game was overshadowed by a post-match confrontation in the tunnel.
The incident reportedly occurred after the final whistle as both sets of players headed toward the dressing rooms. Espanyol midfielder Pol Lozano was involved in a verbal exchange with several Barcelona players, with Joao Cancelo among those said to be present during the altercation.
Lozano has said he was frustrated at the behaviour of his opponents but declined to reveal the exact comments made.
“It doesn’t matter, just football matters,” said Lozano. “Everyone saw the level of respect they have for fellow professionals. I have nothing more to add.”
He later downplayed the involvement of specific individuals, saying: “It wasn’t about Cancelo. These things happen on a football pitch. They tried to taunt me a bit because they won, that’s all. When you lose, you have to take it. It’s always the same, it doesn’t matter.”
Catalan derbies have always been fraught with confrontation. Infamously in 2023 when Barcelona won the title at their rivals’ home ground, there was a pitch invasion by Espanyol fans and Barcelona players were forced to flee into the tunnel.
Despite Saturday’s heavy scoreline, Lozano insisted the match was more competitive than the result suggested, and that Espanyol were undone by mistakes rather than a lack of effort.
Lozano said: “We were very close, but the errors killed us a bit. We must be very proud of the work we have done.”
