La Liga Chief Warns Barcelona Face Expulsion if Catalunya Independence Is Voted Through

La Liga chief Javier Tebas has warned that Barcelona would no longer be able to play in the division should Catalunya vote for independence from Spain at a referendum to be held next month.

Catalan citizens will go the polls on 1st October to determine whether the semi-autonomous region secedes from the Spanish nation and goes it alone as a new sovereign country.

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Yet if that happens, Tebas has stated it will not be possible for clubs from Catalunya to continue playing their football within Spain, warning that Catalans won't be allowed to pick and choose which things they want to be independent from and what they want to keep.

"If that process progresses, hopefully not, Catalan clubs could not play in the League," Tebas is gravely quoted as saying by Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo.

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"Unilateral independence is not a la carte and it would not be easy to reach an agreement. Catalan clubs could not play in the league.

"I hope that the situation will be brought back because Spain is a state of law and illegalities cannot go ahead," he strongly continued.

Tebas has also warned that a new 'League of Catalunya', where Barça would compete domestically against clubs only from their region, including city rivals Espanyol and emerging side Girona, would not receive the same level of interest or investment as La Liga.

"I think that the League of Catalunya would be a bit like the Netherlands and TV3 TV rights will not give it the same as it now receives. Barcelona will no longer be a great club in Europe," he said.