La Liga chaos: Why was Barcelona’s title-decisive clash with Espanyol suspended for several minutes?

It was supposed to be a night of high drama in Catalonia — a decisive derby with the La Liga title on the line, Barcelona poised to crown a new chapter under Hansi Flick. But as play unfolded, the RCDE Stadium was suddenly gripped by a moment of confusion.

It was supposed to be a night of high drama in Catalonia — a decisive derby with the La Liga title on the line, Barcelona poised to crown a new chapter under Hansi Flick. But as play unfolded on Thursday, the RCDE Stadium was suddenly gripped by a moment of confusion, one that silenced the crowd and brought players to a standstill.

The match between Espanyol and Barcelona was halted just minutes after kickoff. What began as an electrifying encounter was briefly replaced by tension and uncertainty. But the reason why referee Cesar Soto Grado stopped play would only become clear minutes later — and it had nothing to do with what was happening on the pitch.

In the eighth minute, the White and Blue players suddenly turned their attention to the fans behind the goal. Gesturing urgently toward the stands and speaking to the referee, a visible concern began to ripple through both teams. Grado consulted with match officials, then approached both benches and security staff. Within moments, the match was halted.

Fans and commentators alike were left in the dark. Television footage showed nothing unusual on the pitch, but on social media, a video began to circulate — and it told a different story.

What happened off the field?

Just outside the stadium, tragedy had struck. “A car plowed into a crowd of people,” reported Marca. The incident reportedly occurred moments before kickoff, sending dozens of Espanyol supporters scattering. As the video showed, several individuals were knocked to the ground.

“It is understood there were no serious injuries to spectators,” said ITV commentator Sam Matterface, speaking during the live broadcast. But at the time, neither the extent of the injuries nor the cause of the incident was clear.

As chaos unfolded, seven ambulances were dispatched to the scene. Riot police arrived shortly thereafter to secure the area. According to Mundo Deportivo, the injured were quickly transported to Bellvitge Hospital, just over three kilometers from the stadium.

Later reports suggested that the cause of the incident was likely accidental. Marca added that police are “working on the hypothesis that the driver lost control and it was an accident,” possibly due to the age of the individual behind the wheel.

Inside the RCDE Stadium, the announcer eventually addressed the crowd, assuring them that the situation was under control. With cautious nods between the referee and both benches, the match resumed after a short pause of two minutes.