THEY always say that they are more than just a football club, and yesterday FC Barcelona proved it by playing a vital league match behind closed doors as a symbol of their solidarity with the Catalonian people.

Barcelona’s Camp Nou, Europe’s largest club stadium with a capacity of nearly 100,000, is often used as a rallying point for Catalan nationalists, and emotions were expected to be running high on the day of the referendum even before their opponents interfered with a pro-Spanish Government gesture.

Las Palmas, from the Canaries, ramped up the pressure before the match by announcing that it was prepared to break football’s rules with a change to their shirt by attaching a Spanish flag and yesterday’s date.

READ MORE: Hundreds injured as Catalans defy Spanish violence to cast historic votes for independence

That was a political message – strictly banned by world governing body FIFA – but the gesture rebounded on Las Palmas as Barcelona thumped them 3-0 with two goals by Lionel Messi and one by Sergio Busquets.

There were no fans in the Camp Nou, however, following a sequence of claims and counter-claims amid the controversial referendum on Catalonia’s independence.

Barcelona, always seen as a symbol of Catalonia, have openly backed the referendum and criticised the Spanish Government for trying to impede the vote.

The club wanted the game to be postponed, but it said that the Spanish league authorities refused to accept its request.

With tens of thousands milling around outside the famous stadium, Barcelona announced just half an hour before the match that it would be played behind closed doors.

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu said: “We tried to suspend the game all day long but it wasn’t possible.

“We could lose points if we didn’t play, so we decided to play behind closed doors as a way to show the entire world that we were not pleased with what happened [in Catalonia].”

As it became clear that the Spanish national police had used excessive violence the club issued a statement: “FC Barcelona condemns the events which have taken place in many parts of Catalonia today in order to prevent its citizens exercising their democratic right to free expression.

“Given the exceptional nature of events, the Board of Directors have decided that the FC Barcelona first team game against Las Palmas will be played behind closed doors following the Professional Football League’s refusal to postpone the game.”

Bartomeu said police had guaranteed the safety of fans and everyone else involved in the match, and the club could have allowed them in if it wanted.

The Spanish league said there was no reason to postpone the game because of safety reasons.

Spanish media reported that Barcelona’s vice-president Carles Vilarrubi resigned after the club decided to play the game under these conditions.

Las Palmas could now find themselves in trouble for the gesture of adding a Spanish flag to the shirts that the players were wearing against Barcelona in a show of support for a unified Spain.

The club said that the match had become more than a sporting event, especially because of the recent statements by Barcelona expressing its support for the referendum.

Las Palmas said the club did not want to limit itself to being a “quiet witness at a historic crossroads”.

It said that by wearing the flag it was showing its unequivocal support for a “united Spain”.

Las Palmas said that even though they are based far from the mainland, they “never felt the slightest temptation to become another country”.

“We are doing this to show the world that we are hurt by what is happening.”

Barcelona could also be in trouble as their giant scoreboard inside the Camp Nou showed a ballot box with the word “democracia” beneath it.

Defender Gerard Pique posted a picture on Twitter of him voting in the referendum and tweeted: “I have already voted. Together we are unstoppable defending democracy.”