La Liga Authorities To Prosecute Pitch Invader In Mallorca-Barcelona Game
La Liga authorities have indicated their intentions to prosecute a pitch invader who evaded security in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Real Mallorca at the Son Moix on Saturday night.
The game between the Spanish champions and the relegation candidates was staged behind closed doors in a bid to stifle the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
But play was temporarily brought to a halt early in the second half when a fan wearing an Argentina jersey with Lionel Messi’s name on the back stormed the pitch to demand a selfie with some players.
The fan, who was escorted from the pitch by security, admitted afterwards that he had scaled a two-meter fence to gain access to the stadium. He was not wearing any personal protective equipment when he made his way onto the pitch.
"La Liga will file criminal actions against the invader who entered the pitch without permission and broke the protocols established in current health legislation and disobeyed the orders of private security personnel," a statement from the league said. "His actions constitute a crime."
It added: "La Liga wants to express its absolute condemnation of this type of conduct that jeopardises the health of others and the integrity of the competition."
Goals from Arturo Vidal, Martin Braithwaite, Jordi Alba and Messi ensured that Barcelona marked their return to La Liga action with a resounding win, taking them five points clear of Real Madrid, who host Eibar on Sunday.
