FC Barcelona president defends team after fan disturbances

BARCELONA, Spain – FC Barcelona's club president says the club holds no responsibility for the crowd trouble that halted the club's Spanish league match against city rival Espanyol. Referee Luis Medina Cantalejo halted Saturday's match for 10 minutes during the second half after Barcelona supporters in the upper tier of Espanyol's Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium threw flares at rival fans below. Some Espanyol fans broke a fence and spilled onto the field in an attempt to escape from the flares. "People were yelling at me as if I was responsible for what was happening," said club president Joan Laporta, who pointed the finger at the stadium's security services. Barcelona won the match, 2-1. – AP