© EuroFootball.com
Barcelona law enforcement officers are anxiously awaiting Sunday night.
On January 8, in the 18th round of the Spanish championship matches played at the Cornellà El Prat stadium, two Catalan clubs - the national champion "Barcelona" and "Espanyol" will clarify their relationship, writes fcbarcelona.lt.
Although the so-called Barcelona derby usually does not cause much concern for the police at the stadium itself, officials describe these matches as a "high-risk event" and are preparing for them very carefully.
The autonomous Catalonia police force "Mossos d'Esquadra" intends to mobilize its largest forces, sending 250 agents wearing uniforms and plain clothes to ensure public order. Another 70 officers will be assigned from the municipal police.
The "Espanyol" club, where the match will take place, will not remain on the sidelines. Security in the stands and stadium entrances of the Cornella El Prat arena will be supervised by 150 hired security guards, and at least 340 marshals will check those entering. At least 60 supervisors will monitor the main passages in the stadium and car parking areas.
During the match, there should be at least 80 medics at the stadium and nearby, ready to assist those injured in case of riots.
"We are preparing for the match with "Barcelona" just as we do for a match against Madrid's "Real". We carefully plan everything and will immediately try to quell any incidents," says Jose Manuel Moya, head of the security department of the "Espanyol" football club.
The most radical fans of "Barcelona" and "Espanyol" who have a paranoid hatred for each other usually avoid causing riots in stadiums and are more likely to settle their disputes in the streets of the Catalan capital.
The last serious incident at the stadium during the Barcelona derby was recorded in 2008. At that time, the most fervent members of the "Boixos Nois" ("Crazy Boys") group of Barcelona fans in the upper stands threw burning pyrotechnics and broke chairs on the "Espanyol" supporters sitting below. By the way, after this incident, a financial penalty was imposed on the "Espanyol" club, which, according to the organizers of the Spanish championship, failed to ensure the safety of spectators.
