AP

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona football club says it supports holding a referendum on Catalonia's independence from Spain.

Barcelona issued a statement on Saturday saying it is joining the "National Pact for the Referendum," a civil society initiative supporting a vote by the wealthy northeastern region.

Despite repeated warnings by the Spanish government that a vote would be illegal, the Catalan regional government says it will hold a binding referendum in September.

The region, whose capital is Barcelona, represents a fifth of Spain's GDP.

Separatists have used Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium as a rallying point for several years, with pro-independence chants regularly heard at matches.