Oxford United midfielder Xemi recalls race to vote in Catalonia independence referendum
Wednesday 11 October 2017 11:37, UK
Oxford United midfielder Xemi says it was a race against time to return to his native Barcelona to vote in the Catalan independence referendum earlier this month.
The 22-year-old was part of the Oxford United team who travelled to Peterborough on September 30 for their 4-1 victory in League One, though Xemi's focus was on his flight to Barcelona later that afternoon.
"I had a problem going to Luton [airport] because we went there [to the Peterborough game] on the bus so I couldn't drive - I didn't know how I could get there," he told Sky Sports News.
"But Canice [Carroll] was flying to Ireland and his father drove us to Luton so I could get the plane. I flew back to Barcelona and then I came back to Gatwick and got the train back home."
The Spaniard, who joined Oxford from Barcelona B in July, was making the trip to vote in the Catalonia independence referendum; an occasion which caused widespread violence across the city.
People in the north-eastern Spanish region turned out for an illegal referendum on splitting from Spain - but police were drafted in to block off polling stations and seize ballot boxes.
Protests throughout Catalonia meant Barcelona's home game against Las Palmas in La Liga was forced to be played behind closed doors; scenes Xemi witnessed first-hand.
"I wanted to vote," he added. "It was massive with so many people trying to vote that I couldn't vote in my polling station.
"I had to go a village 30 minutes from Barcelona because it was so full. It was impossible to vote within three-four hours.
"I think that when there's a problem in a society politicians have to listen and they have to let the society talk - I think the way to do it is with a referendum and let the people talk by voting."
The Oxford United midfielder believes such violence should not be occurring in Europe in 2017, with the Spaniard calling for more communication between both sides.
"I think it's crossing the line answering this will to vote with violence," he said.
"I think that's the worst answer and should never happen again, and honestly I didn't think that would happen in 2017.
"For me it's something I would never expect and is something that should never happen again."
