Nàstic cancels the signing of a Catalanophobic footballer

BarcelonaFour hours. That's how long José Manuel Calderón has lasted as a player for Nàstic de Tarragona. Several fans had complained following the controversial signing of the Andalusian footballer, who had made some anti-Catalan statements after achieving promotion with Córdoba to the Second Division. "I curse the deaths of all Catalans," the left-back said in a live broadcast on his Instagram account. The incident occurred last summer after the qualifying round of play-off between the Andalusian team and Barça Atlètic (2-1 in favor of the Andalusians). After announcing that he was signing for one season, plus an optional second, Nàstic has backtracked after receiving several criticisms. "Neither forget nor forgive! Fascists out of the Nou Estadi" and "Seriously, this guy? Hatred of Catalans should be a minimum red line, out of pure logic" are some of the responses that could be read in the tweet in which the Catalan club announced the signing.

Through a statement on its social networks, the Catalan club has regretted the inconvenience and believes that "any incorporation must be aligned with the respect, unity, and social responsibility that characterize us." Furthermore, it reaffirms its commitment to continue working to "build the best possible squad to face the 2025-2026 season with guarantees," where the objective will once again be to fight for a return to the Second Division.

That wasn't the only comment Calderón made during the live stream. The Andalusian also responded to an Instagram user who blamed him for Héctor Fort's goal. "Yes, but afterward, a big blowjob," the footballer responded. Calderón later apologized to all Catalans in a story. which he posted on his Instagram account. "I apologize to all the people of Barcelona and all Catalans for my actions during this afternoon's live stream." Just hours earlier, some of the Córdoba fans had already insulted Catalonia with chants of "Fucking Catalonia" during the final for promotion to the Second Division. Before the match, Andalusian fans also heckled Rafa Márquez's players upon their arrival at the stadium.

The incidents didn't go any further, and neither the player nor the club received any sanctions. However, a precedent was recently set in Spanish football. Athletic Club received a 9,000-euro fine for offensive chants during the 3-0 match against Barça. During the last matchday at San Mamés, some chants of "Fucking Barça" were heard. On this occasion, the Appeals Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) did label them as "expressions of hatred that incite violence," according to the Basque club in a statement.

Sergi Guardiola and his short adventure at Barça

A similar situation to Calderón's occurred at Barça in 2015. The Barcelona reserve team announced the signing of Sergi Guardiola, a free agent after his contract with Alcorcón expired. A few hours after making the signing official, the club sacked him for tweets he had made years earlier that were against the club and in Catalonia. "Hala Madrid, puta Catalunya," could be read on his X account.