Barcelona ultras reportedly smashed a window on Atletico Madrid's team bus during a hostile arrival at the Nou Camp on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred as the Catalan giants aimed to overturn a four-goal deficit in their Copa del Rey second leg, with riot police deployed to guard against disorder from raucous fans gathered outside the stadium.
Chaotic Scenes Outside the Stadium
Footage shared on social media shows hordes of Barcelona supporters lining the streets, waving red flares as baton-wielding officers monitored the situation. In one video, a policeman had to kick away a flare after it landed on the ground before the Atletico team bus arrived. According to Spanish outlet Marca, a group of 'local hooligans' then began launching missiles upon the arrival of manager Diego Simeone and his players.
Bus Window Damaged Amid Missile Attacks
Marca added that one of the objects 'hit its target' and 'ended up breaking the window of the team's official bus' amid the chaos. It was claimed that Simeone and his players were made an 'easy target' after entering through a separate gate from the Barcelona team, where most of the Catalan police were reportedly stationed. In contrast, home fans greeted their own bus with fireworks and chants of 'Yes we can! Yes we can!' in reference to the daunting task ahead.
Background to the Fiery Atmosphere
Barcelona were humiliated by Atletico with a 4-0 loss at the Metropolitano last week, but put on a pre-match display for the return leg featuring fireworks to gee-up the crowd for a potential comeback. At half-time, they were 2-0 up in the tie. Manager Hansi Flick had emphasised the challenge ahead, stating, 'We are four goals behind and we have to make the impossible possible. That is the objective. It's not easy. However, we will not give up.'
Flick's Call for Fan Support
The German manager also called on his team to inspire support from the Barcelona fans during the 90 minutes, saying, 'I'm sure the fans will give us their support. For me, it's important that everyone who wants to cheer can do so. We have to establish a perfect connection between the team and the supporters.'
History of Fan Misconduct
This is not the first time Barcelona's supporters have been involved in such incidents. In 2024, they came under fire for mistakenly throwing objects at their own team bus prior to a Champions League quarter-final second leg, while singing 'F*** PSG'. The recurring violence highlights ongoing concerns about fan behaviour in high-stakes matches.
