Espanyol player forced to close Instagram account after receiving insults from Barcelona fans

Espanyol player forced to close Instagram account after receiving insults from Barcelona fans

The Barcelona derby may be over, but the fallout from Saturday’s clash at the Camp Nou has sparked a lot of controversy for all the wrong reasons.

Pol Lozano, who scored Espanyol’s only goal in the 4-1 defeat, found himself at the centre of a storm after speaking out about the attitude of some Barcelona players at the final whistle.

What did Lozano say?

Speaking to DAZN pitchside after the match, Lozano did not hold back, questioning the attitude of the Barcelona players.

“You can see here in front of everyone the respect they have for their other colleagues; there’s nothing more to add,” he said.

When pushed further in the mixed zone, the Espanyol number 10 kept it brief, saying without mentioning names that “it’s always the same, it’s not worth talking about.”

Lozano’s post-match comments did not go well with Barcelona fans. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Those words, however, were enough to trigger a wave of abuse directed at the academy product on social media.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Lozano has been forced to close his Instagram account as a result of the volume of insults he has been receiving from Barcelona fans.

The report suggests the player is doing fine and simply does not wish to be subjected to the hatred coming his way.

Espanyol head coach Manolo Gonzalez addressed the situation at his press conference, putting things into perspective with characteristic bluntness.

“The usual thing happens. In the 85th minute, we were closer to the Les Corts cemetery than to the Camp Nou. In the 87th minute, we were all braver than the host,” he said.

“When you lose you have to eat it, you have to swallow and compete again at the highest level.”

Lamine Yamal was prompt in responding after the win, urging Espanyol to ‘swallow’ the defeat.