Barca and Espanyol coaches look for calm ahead of cup rematch

Luis Enrique and Constantin Galca, the coaches of FC Barcelona and Espanyol respectively, held a brief meeting and posed for photographs together on the pitch of Espanyol's Cornella-El Prat Stadium ahead of their derby in the King's Cup on Wednesday.

Wednesday will be the third time the two bitter local rivals have met in a week and a half and the main reason for the meeting was to try and calm tempers among both sets of players following the first two games.

In the BBVA Primera Liga 11 days ago, the two outfits drew 0-0 with Espanyol producing what is generally agreed to have been a very physical display which left some Barca players unhappy with the challenges they received.

Tempers flared a four days later as Barca won the first leg of their Cup tie 4-1 in the Camp Nou Stadium. This time the referee was less permissive of the rough challenges and Espanyol ended with just nine men on the pitch as Hernan Perez and Pape Diop both sent off for two yellow cards and dissent.

Meanwhile Luis Suarez later received a two-game ban for allegedly provoking a melee between players from both sides in the tunnel after the final whistle after calling some members of the Espanyol side "garbage."

After the two coaches posed for photos they gave their respective press conferences, Luis Enrique admitted he was skeptical whether Tuesday's events would have any effect.7

"We can exchange opinions, if it helps to stop any outbreak of violence that would be good, but I don't know if it do much," he told the press.

The Barca boss was reluctant to discuss last week's incidents saying, "nothing happened that didn't happen in matches when I was a player or matches I've coached."

"Everyone thinks they are right, but we need to be careful and say the most important thing that happens is what goes on on the pitch."

"I am going to focus on football," he insisted. Endit