The Spanish midfielder of Monaco Cesc Fabregas described the situation in his native region of Catalonia as "sad", which has experienced an intense week of protests and incidents following the sentencing of nine independence leaders to prison terms.
"It hurts me to see my homeland like this, everyone knows where I was born. To see my people and my land suffer like this. To see the images of what is happening there, it's all very painful, very sad. I hope it can be resolved quickly," he said at a press conference on the eve of Monaco-Rennes.
"What we understand is that there is a great injustice," added the 2010 World Cup champion with Spain, referring to the conviction of the leaders of the independence movement.
"What we ask for is the ability to sit down and talk, like normal people do. To talk amongst ourselves, between those who are in favor of independence and those who are not. I don't think it's that difficult. Sitting down and listening are the only things requested. We're not asking for more. From this moment on, things should get better. Dialogue heals many things," added the former Barcelona player.
"It's not good for this to affect football. It is said that football and politics are separate, but in the end they are closely related. I hope they can find a date for the sake of the spectacle of football, that's what we all want," concluded the Spaniard. (D)