Casaus and Puerta, A Gamper of Mourning

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Football

29.08.2007 23:35

Casaus and Puerta, A Gamper of Mourning

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Wednesday night, during the Joan Gamper trophy, Sevilla player Antonio Puerta and ex vice-president Nicolau Casaus, were very present in the Camp Nou. The player, the club and the supporters visibly showed the pain caused by these losses.

Before the start of the game, the Bar�a players took to the field all wearing the official Sevilla shirt with the number 16 and Antonio Puerta’s name on the back. By doing this, the Bar�a players were able to offer their own tribute to the Sevilla player, who died on Tuesday. The team also carried a banner saying “We will play for you” and with a picture of the player.

Minute silence

A minute’s silence was held in memory of Nicolas Casaus and Antonio Puerta while videos were shown to the crowd. Many tributes were displayed from the stands in memory of two big losses from the world of football. Also, alongside the president of FC Barcelona showing their absolute respect were Jose Montilla, president of the Generalitat, and Jordi Hereu, Mayor of Barcelona.

In Memory of Casaus

Minutes before the players took to the field, there was an emotional homage to the ex vice-president, who died on the 8th of August. The official supporters’ clubs (Penyes), which Casaus loved a great deal, played their part in the tribute. A giant poster in the centre of the field with a picture of Casaus could also be seen with the words “Always in our memories”. The children involved in the Penyes football 7 tournament also came out on pitch while the crowd paid tribute with an extended applause.

The following act involved children coming on the pitch carrying placards representing the 34 geographic zones of the Penyes of FC Barcelona. Despite the tributes, the “Penyes hymn” and the “Bar�a song” were not played as a sign of condolence of the losses.

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Players in Mourning

FC Barcelona communicated to the media that “The coaches and the players have decided not to participate in a press conference following the match as a sign of respect for the loss of Sevilla FC player Antonio Puerta.”

“A conference will take place after the training session in the morning, the squad wants to express their sadness at the loss of a fellow footballer and accepts the decision of the club to play the game this evening.”

The FC Barcelona players decided against celebrating the goals scored during the game against Inter Milan—another sign of respect to the loss of the Sevilla player.