Barcelona’s Copa del Rey victory over Valencia, Thursday night, was overshadowed as their team bus had its windows smashed by rival fans.
The Catalan club beat their Balearic rivals at the Mestalla thanks to goals from Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic to send them through to their fifth consecutive Copa del Rey final, winning 3-0 on aggregate.
And Valencia fans had created a carnival atmosphere outside their imposing ground, seeking to qualify for the final against Sevilla.
But the supporters’ passion turned ugly after the final whistle and a minority launched objects at the Barca bus as it was leaving the stadium.
The vehicle then had to be escorted away from the city by police after the incident.
Pictures later emerged of shattered and smashed windows on the coach after scenes turned ugly on the streets of the Spanish city.
There were no reports of injuries but Valencia fans were accused of insulting Gerard Pique’s Catalan identity and racially abusing Samuel Umtiti, although those reports are unconfirmed.
