Spanish Interior Ministry opens disciplinary case over treatment of underage Barcelona fan

Spain’s Interior Ministry has launched urgent disciplinary proceedings against National Police officers accused of violently detaining an underage Barcelona supporter near Martinez Valero stadium in Elche.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced the formal investigation during a government questioning session in parliament on Wednesday, in response to a question from MP Marta Madrenas.

The case follows an incident on 23 August, before Barcelona’s match against Elche, when the young supporter was stopped and detained by police close to the stadium. The teenager was carrying an Estelada, the flag associated with Catalan independence.

The ministry said its initial internal review had found that the police response was “unjustified in any way”. Grande-Marlaska said “confidential information” gathered during the preliminary inquiry would now be subject to an official review to establish whether the officers’ conduct amounted to serious or very serious misconduct.

He also stressed that the police action could not be justified by the symbol being carried by the supporter. The flag of Catalonia, known as the Senyera, was described by the minister as a “perfectly legitimate” emblem.

The incident has caused widespread concern in Spain and drawn strong criticism from Barcelona. Club president Joan Laporta publicly described the treatment of the supporter as “disproportionate and violent”, arguing that it had no connection with freedom of expression.

Barcelona also issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it called the “excessive and unjustified use of force” against its members and supporters. The club expressed its strongest opposition to the events and supported calls for the circumstances surrounding the detention to be investigated.

The teenager and his family have received backing from prominent figures within the club. Barcelona forward Gavi was among those to express his support for the victim and his relatives, while Laporta also offered his unequivocal backing.

The parliamentary exchange also referred to a separate incident involving an Estelada in Alcorcon, Madrid, on the previous Sunday. A Junts MP raised the case in connection with the Elche events.

Grande-Marlaska said the Alcorcon incident needed to be “put into context”, while insisting that its circumstances were “completely different and distinct from those in Elche”. No further details about that case were provided in the statement.

The disciplinary process will determine whether the conduct of the officers involved in the Martinez Valero incident should be classified as serious or very serious wrongdoing, following the conclusions of the initial internal assessment.