Espanyol considered not showing up for Barcelona clash after Lewandowski ban decision

The Central Contentious Court of Madrid’s injunction to provide relief on Robert Lewandowski’s three-match ban has gripped Spanish football, causing controversy.

The forward, who was handed a three-man suspension by RFEF shortly after Barcelona’s last game against CA Osasuna, will be available to play against Espanyol in the Catalan derby tomorrow – a decision that has left the opposition frustrated.

Espanyol have already released an official statement, where they cited their disagreement and disapproval at the decision to provide relief to Lewandowski’s ban, just 24 hours before the game.

According to COPE (h/t SPORT), Espanyol had considered taking further measures by not showing up to the derby at all. The club had argued that the timing of the Court’s decision was not reasonable at all, nor was the decision itself had any legitimacy.

Espanyol are further livid with the fact that Barcelona had issued restrictions against their fans at Camp Nou tomorrow, in an attempt to avoid the opposition fans from overcrowding the stadium.

These reasons played a key role in forcing Espanyol to consider not showing up for the game. But in the end, they have chosen to not send any of the club’s representatives to Camp Nou to attend the match.

Only the players will be a part of tomorrow’s derby against Barcelona, which may cause serious controversy,.

In addition to confirming that Espanyol will not have any official representation, the club have urged concerned parties to look into the Lewandowski situation while urging them to assess the implications of the decision.

Further, the Parakeets have backed themselves to take every step possible to defend their interest, which is a strong statement coming out of Barcelona’s local rivals. However, whether or not the off-field tensions between these two clubs reflect on their players tomorrow remains to be seen.