BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona unveiled a huge banner reading "Dialogue, Respect and Sport" before kick-off against Olympiakos at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, calling for a resolution to the political crisis between Catalonia and the Spanish central government. "This is the same message that was transmitted by Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Oct. 5, which called for a process of dialogue and negotiations to find solutions to the current political situation in Catalonia," Barcelona said in a statement. As the banner was unveiled on a rainswept evening at the Nou Camp, Barca fans chanted "freedom" in response to the jailing of senior secessionist figures Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez on Monday pending an investigation into alleged sedition. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy urged on Wednesday Catalonia’s regional leader Carles Puidgemont to “act sensibly” and renounce the independence bid to head off a threat by Madrid to impose direct rule. (Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Ed Osmond)

Source: The Star October 18, 2017 19:30 UTC