Catalan politicians decry forest of Spanish flags

Spanish fans are flying the flag with their team into their first ever World Cup final - but in some parts of the country, not everyone is happy.

The reason is a forest of flags in Spanish red and yellow that can be espied in the eastern region of Catalonia, where a sizeable minority of people support independence from Madrid rather than simple semi-autonomy.

And that has upset the president of the Catalan regional government, leftist separatist Josep Lluis Carod-Rovira.

"We have ended up with more Spanish flags than 'senyeras' (the yellow and red-striped Catalan flag) flying from balconies and all over the place," Mr Carod-Rovira complained on his blog.

Centre-right daily El Mundo picked up on the issue with a headline which noted that "Catalan nationalists are worried about the pull of the national side" on people in the region who are clearly happy to show support for the Spanish team - which in any case consists largely of players from Catalan club Barcelona.

El Mundo, a vociferous opponent of Catalan nationalism, rejoiced in so many people "coming out of the cupboard" to support the Spanish as they prepare to take on the Dutch.

The paper indicated some 74 percent of viewers in the region had watched the final win over Germany - without speculating how many might actually have supported the Germans.

Catalans have in the past been a little reticent about backing the Spanish side - they have their own 'national' selection, but it plays only friendly internationals.

Semi-final goalscoring hero Carles Puyol has even played a few games for them and the team is coached by Barca legend Johan Cruyff, perhaps ironically given that his native Holland are Sunday's opponents.

Even so, the flags indicate that Catalan sentiment is with Spain and the Barcelona city authorities have agreed to erect a giant screen to show the final in the city centre.

Carod-Rovira's party colleague Joan Puigcercos nonetheless could not resist remarking yesterday that the Spanish team "would be nothing" without the profusion of Barcelona players such as Puyol, new signing from Valencia David Villa and playmakers Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Puigcercos insisted that if FIFA would only recognise Catalonia and allow it to send a team to the World Cup they would turn in a "top level" performance.