Barcelona are no stranger to on and off-field controversies as the club tries to finish the 2023-24 season on a high with a potential chance of winning the double of La Liga and Champions League if results go their way. However, their off-field troubles are not ready to get trimmed up after defender Inigo Martinez was seen involved in an altercation with the fans on Monday (1 Apr). The video of the incident has gone viral and has seen football fans arrive with divided opinions over the altercation.
Inigo Martinez gets into an altercation
The incident took place on Monday when Martinez was driving his car and was on his way to the Joan Gamper training complex, which serves as the training centre for the Barcelona players. On his way, Martinez was provoked by some fans on the roadside as they made fun of him. In response, the Barcelona defender stopped his car and confronted the fans. The resulting incident saw Martinez full of anger and approaching the two fans who were making fans of him.
“It’s the last time you call me stupid, the last. The last time you insult me. And your friend the same. Have you heard or not? The last. And don’t be cocky,” the centre-back criticized the Blaugrana supporters.
Martinez has not enjoyed his move to Barcelona having suffered several injuries during his maiden season with the club. He moved from Athletic Bilbao to the Spanish giants in 2023 but has started only nine matches in La Liga which has resulted in a lack of support for him from the fans. He did start on the weekend for Barcelona where they got the better of the opposition 1-0.
Also Read: La Liga Top Players of All-time
Barcelona beat Las Palmas in a controversial match
The match had its fair share of controversies including a red card for goalkeeper Alvaro Valles in the 24th minute. However, despite the one-man advantage Barcelona needed to labour down to earn the result. It was Raphinha’s goal in the 59th minute that grabbed hold of the three points for the hosts who found it hard to break down the opposition.
The match also had another controversial moment in the 19th minute when Raphinha was through on goal and scored. Still, an extraordinary offside call on the Brazilian even though he had no impact in the build-up and was onside by the moment he scored caused the goal to be ruled out. VAR checked and confirmed the call, but it was a difficult one to fully comprehend.
Also Read: David Alaba to Jan Oblak – Five highest paid players in La Liga