Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has emerged as a figurehead in Catalonia's movement to break away from Spain. In a symbolic gesture, Guardiola, born in the Catalan town of Santpedor, added his name to the list of candidates for the two main parties seeking independence.
Sunday's election, in which the autonomous region will choose the 135 members who will form its 11th parliament, is billed as a plebiscite on independence. Should the result match the polling, the secessionist parties will have the majority needed to move ahead with their plans to proclaim Catalonia's independence.
Related: Catalan independence threatens Barcelona's place in La Liga, says president
Miguel Cardenal, Spain's secretary of state for sport, isn't pleased with Guardiola's support of "Guanyarem," which translates to "We will win" and has drawn approval from Catalan sportsmen and sportswomen, including Bojan Krkic, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Johan Cryuff, and Eric Abidal.
Cardenal lashed out at the manager in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur on Thursday.
"The Guardiola situation explains many things that are going on in Catalonia," Cardenal said, according to Marca. "It's mass manipulation."
Cardenal added: "It's the biggest case of mass manipulation I've ever seen. I don't know if it's intentional or not, but Guardiola has been participating in it since the moment he became a candidate and he made the video that seems to mean everyone who signed thinks the same as him.
"I'd like to ask Guardiola to consider the manipulation that he's been involved in and come out in defence of the freedom of his sporting colleagues who've been used against their will, and in many cases, against what they actually think."
- With h/t to Alberto Nardelli of the Guardian