Barcelona have decided to rebel against what they see as an unfair ruling, namely the two penalties imposed on the club as a result of Catalan pro-independence flags being displayed at last season's Champions League final and during the recent match against Bayer Leverkusen. This has provoked a reaction, the results of which will be seen in the upcoming Champions League game against BATE Borisov.

The club will be handing out 20,000 pro-independence 'estelades', a flag which the Catalan parliament upholds is a legal and non-violent symbol. Two giant banners will also be stretched across the goals on the eve of the showdown: one bearing the message 'Respect for Catalan symbols' and the other reading 'Freedom of expression'.

These measures will be met by further economic sanctions from UEFA, although they will not call for the closure of the Camp Nou. Several associations and platforms are currently looking at the possibility of taking the case to the courts of law to request that the European body allows the display of pro-independence flags at the stadium.