Night of farewells in La Liga in Catalonia
Espanyol suffer cruel relegation, Barça say goodbye to Camp Nou, Busquets, and Alba
Sunday was a night of farewells in La Liga for Catalan clubs.
Espanyol were officially relegated to the second division in cruel circumstances after a 2-2 draw away at Valencia, coupled with Amería's draw against Valladolid.
The pericos came back from a goal down to take a 1-2 lead against a team that were still very much in the fight for survival alongside the Catalans, and looked to have secured the three points with just a quarter of an hour left to play. However, the referee disallowed what would have been defender Cesar Montes' second goal of the game for a perceived foul on the goalkeeper, despite contact appearing to be minimal on replays.
In injury time, Valencia equalized the game, which condemned Espanyol to their second relegation in three years.
The president of Espanyol, Mao Ye, apologized to the fans in a video released on the club's social media feed on Monday. In it, the Chinese businessman took "full responsibility" for the disastrous campaign, admitting that the club "did not learn the lessons of the mistakes made a few seasons ago."
Barça bid farewell to Camp Nou
Sixty-six years after the first game was played at the Camp Nou stadium, FC Barcelona bid farewell to the current version of their iconic stadium, as they played their last home game of the season on Sunday, a 3-0 win over Mallorca. Next season, the blaugrana will play their matches at the city's Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc, while renovation works take place at the Camp Nou.
Excited fans made sure to bring a piece of the Camp Nou home with them to keep as souvenirs, as videos on social media showed supporters ripping off seats and other signs to keep for themselves.
The club also held a farewell ceremony on the night, with a musical performance and fireworks to mark the occasion.
On Monday, the first brick was laid as part of the 'new' Camp Nou, and a small ceremony was held featuring club president Joan Laporta and manager Xavi Hernández.
Busquets and Alba say goodbye
Two club legends also waved goodbye to the home fans on Sunday night, as it was their last chance to play in front of the Barça crowd in their careers.
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will both be leaving the Catalan club at the end of this season, marking the end of an era for the club.
Busquets is the last surviving member of the legendary Guardiola team that won six trophies in one year in 2009. Xavi, however, is still at the club but now as manager.