Barcelona 26 Feb (ANA) - ing Felipe of Spain has been met with protests on his first visit to Catalonia since last October's failed independence bid in the Spanish region.  Police held back hundreds of people as the king arrived in Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress technology fair. Senior Catalan officials refused to attend a formal reception.

 

Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola vowed to carry on wearing a yellow ribbon in support of imprisoned Catalan politicians.  Guardiola, a former Barcelona midfielder, said this was because he was a "human being before a manager". Earlier this week, he was charged by the Football Association for "wearing a political message".

 

In a setback for the pro-independence cause, a survey published by the respected Catalan Centre for Opinion Studies last week suggested support for independence had dropped sharply, with a majority of Catalans now against the idea.(ANA)

FA/ANA/26 February 2018--------