Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 19:18• Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk

A publication by Memphis Depay on social media in the context of La Diada, Catalonia’s national holiday, has caused controversy. The Barcelona attacker published a photo on Saturday of an elderly couple walking down Las Ramblas with a flag on a stick. However, it is about the estelada, which symbolizes the Catalan independence movement.

The estelada is a variant of the senyera, the official flag of Catalonia, with one or more added stars. The flag is mainly used to show sympathy for the idea of ​​independence and is therefore absolutely not appreciated outside the Catalan borders in Spain. For example, away supporters of Barcelona with a estelada fined because the flag ‘incites hatred’.

BONA DIADA pic.twitter.com/3BWmFrxr29

— Memphis Depay (@Memphis) September 11, 2021

The fact that the estelada has a somewhat more militant character than the senyera, Depay’s publication is causing some division among ‘Spanish’ and ‘Catalan’ social media users. “I hope the Netherlands will drown soon”, “I hope the water level will rise and the Netherlands will disappear nicely”, “Why do you mix sports with politics, Depay?” and “Depay is only after cheap applause, he doesn’t even know what Catalonia means,” are insignificant compared to some of the other comments.

“You are the Zionist cement of football. A self-indulgent heretic of degeneracy and globalism. That’s Memphis Depay,” it even sounds. Or: “The Catalan Republic does not exist. Neither does your father.” Another follower has some well-intentioned advice: “Someone should inform whoever takes care of Depay’s social media. The estelada can go wrong with many Barcelona supporters, especially those who have the independentistas more than fed up. It is not good to mix football and politics.”