Na big match dey for Camp Nou this Thursday as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid go face each other for Champions League quarterfinal first leg. This one na fourth time wey these two Spanish giants go meet for just two months, and tension don dey high like pepper soup.
For February, Atletico carry Copa del Rey semifinal win comot, but Barca bounce back just last Saturday with 2-1 away win for La Liga. That win make Barcelona table-toppers strong strong, but Champions League na different ball game entirely.
Barcelona be five-time European champions, but dem no lift that trophy since 2015. History dey remind us say Atletico don eliminate Barca for this same quarterfinal stage two times before – for 2014 and 2016. Diego Simeone boys dey always ready for war.
Match go kick off by 12:30 AM Indian Standard Time on Thursday, April 9. All eyes go dey Camp Nou stadium for Barcelona as dem host their Spanish rivals. For India, Sony Sports Network go show the match live, and you fit stream am on SonyLiv app and website.
Same Thursday, another big match dey happen as Paris Saint-Germain go face Liverpool for Parc des Princes. Liverpool dey come from 4-0 hammering wey Manchester City give dem for FA Cup, while PSG dey look for back-to-back Champions League glory.
But as football excitement dey build, one ugly matter don surface again. Racism wahala don show face for Spanish football ahead of this big match. Last week, during Spain friendly match against Egypt, fans dey chant “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim” for RCDE Stadium.
This bad behavior don spread reach Spanish capital. Even outside Santiago Bernabeu before Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich match on Tuesday, same kind chant dey happen. Na just one day after Vinicius Junior praise Lamine Yamal for speaking out against the racist chants.
Now as thousands of Atletico Madrid fans travel reach Barcelona for the match, reports dey show say small group of Colchoneros fans don dey mimic the same offensive chant. Video evidence don surface, and Catalan police don begin investigation for Cornella area.
Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old Barcelona wonderkid, don suffer racist abuse again just last Saturday at Metropolitano stadium. Fans dey shout slurs and “go play with Morocco” as he dey take corner kick. FIFA don open investigation into the incidents wey happen during Spain vs Egypt match.
RFEF, Spain football federation, say dem activate anti-racism protocol at half-time during that match and follow all procedures. But the problem dey persist. At time wey Spanish football biggest stars dey speak out against racism, the scourge dey follow dem like shadow.
This Champions League quarterfinal no be just about football skills and tactics. Na also about whether Spanish football fit clean this racism stain wey dey spoil the beautiful game. As Barcelona and Atletico prepare for battle, the real fight dey both on and off the pitch.
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