L'Hereu Riera

He is not Usain Bolt neither carry any Olympic medal. But the name of Àlex Fàbregas is now trending topic  in Catalonia and Spain and will be one of the big names of London 2012.

Àlex Fàbregas is a Catalan player of the Spanish hockey team in the Olympics, a silver medalist four years ago. In fact most of his team mates are Catalans. But he voiced something everyone think but no so much people say: ‘I’m Catalans and I’m playing for Spain just because I have no other option’. He wrote that in a tweet and suddenly got insults and even threats from Spanish fans. Fàbregas then decided to shut down the twitter account but then the reaction surged from Catalan fans. #TotsSomÀlexFàbregas (We All Are Àlex Fàbregas) became in few hours trending topic in twitter.

More and more Catalans are worried of how Spaniards are showing strong anti-Catalan feelings using social networks and also forums on Spanish newspapers. Some regard the messages as racists because of the strong wording Spaniards uses against Catalans.

Spain performance in the London Games is the worst in decades and the winners of the only three medals are one Catalan woman, Mireia Belmonte, and one basque girl. Belmonte was asked some time ago in a magazine about the chance of a Catalan delegation at the Games and she show her support: ‘It will be good to compete with Spain in the swimming pool’ she said.

Catalan athletes take part in the games as members of the Andorran, French or Spanish teams. In the case of Spain they cannot refuse joining the team.

(VilaWeb.cat, 6.8.2012)