Major tension worries Barcelona ahead of Valencia clash
The Catalan side is wary of the potential negative effects.
Expect a tense atmosphere around the Mestalla in the hours before Valencia host Barcelona. Supporters of "the Bats" are preparing to protest against the club's management and owners.
Valencia president Peter Lim landed in the city on Sunday morning aboard a private plane, hours before kick-off, according to the Catalan newspaper "Sport".
Read also
Despite the coach's defence of him: Vinicius stirs controversy by ignoring Mourinho
How did Barcelona choose their five captains? Flick reveals the behind-the-scenes
The club did not officially confirm Lim would be in the box, according to Spanish newspaper "AS", but the top official at "the Bats" is expected inside the stadium to watch the match.
His arrival comes at an extremely sensitive time for Valencia. Carlos Corberan's side have taken just one point from a possible nine in the first three rounds of La Liga, and the transfer window has only deepened the discontent among fans, who have lined up a series of protests against the ownership and management.
All of which points to a heated atmosphere around the Mestalla before kick-off, given the fractured relationship between supporters and the club's hierarchy.
This fixture carries its own memories of fan unrest. On the final round of last season, before these two teams met, local supporters lit flares and threw objects at police around Mestalla, and chanted as Barcelona's bus passed.
Concern at Barcelona
That backdrop is pushing Barça to watch the build-up closely, according to "Sport". This will be the first away trip for their fans since the trouble around the Martinez Valero stadium, before their opening La Liga game at Elche.
The incident still lingers within the Catalan club. The same police force organised the security operation, and confrontations broke out between Barcelona fans and national police before the match.
Barcelona went as far as condemning what they described as the "excessive" use of force against one of their supporters, demanding clarification over the security intervention before kick-off.
