Catalonia vs Palestine match in Barcelona at risk, organizers warn

The friendly match between Catalonia and Palestine, scheduled to take place in Barcelona on November 18, is at risk, organizers warned on Sunday.

The activists behind the campaign ACT x PALESTINE say the city council has not yet opened ticket sales and has failed to promote the event.

They also accuse the Catalan capital’s government of seeking to move the game, from the Olympic Stadium, to a smaller venue outside Barcelona.

In a statement, ACT x PALESTINE accused the city council of putting "a historic game at risk in a premeditated way."

"Delaying everything until so few days before the match can only reflect a desire to make the event fail. We cannot accept this,"  the organizers said.

The activists explained that the Palestine national team will play in Bilbao, in the Basque Country, three days before the match in Catalonia.

They highlighted that all institutions involved there, from clubs to local governments, "have understood the importance of the event," selling 35,000 tickets in a single day for San Mamés Stadium.

"In Barcelona, the game has not received the care and attention it deserves," they added.

To address this, ACT x PALESTINE has launched a presale process on their website to put pressure on the city council.

"We do not only want to keep the Olympic Stadium, we want to demonstrate that the city is ready to fill it up," the activists said.