Several University students on a winter study abroad program were attacked at a soccer game in Barcelona, Spain on Jan. 7.

The students were attending a game between FC Barcelona and Espanyol and were seated in a section of mostly Espanyol fans. They were wearing Barcelona colors, said Jeremy Geller, study abroad program director. They were told by stadium security to take the shirts off. They complied for a while, but around halftime put the Barcelona gear back on, at which time Espanyol fans attacked them, Geller said.

The students’ names are not being released, he added.

“I would assume (putting the Barcelona gear back on) had something to do with poor judgment,” Geller said. “At that point some Espanyol fans came up and started shoving and beating the men and threatening the women.”

The incident escalated when another Espanyol fan came from a different part of the stadium and punched one of the University students, a freshman, in the face. The student required stitches, Geller said.

A University professor, John Wilcox, who had been living in Spain and had been overseeing the students, was interviewed on Spanish radio along with a couple of the students involved in the attack.

“Since that time the Barcelona team offered five of our students fancy box seats at essentially midfield, the equivalent of an American 50 yard line,” Geller said. “Our students did take them up, and they had pretty deluxe seats and deluxe treatment. Espanyol offered to reimburse the (freshman’s) medical expenses.”

The game was on Saturday Jan. 7, but the University did not find out until Monday Jan. 9, when Wilcox informed them, Geller said. Since the University was not needed for action, there was no reason to contact them early, he said.

Geller said none of the students came back from the program early, and they were “not put off on the program or Spain.”

The incident also has not changed the University’s relationship with the school in Barcelona.

“This was a very circumstance-specific case,” he said. “The Europeans would regard what our students did as an incitement, Geller said. “Europeans know not to wear the opposing colors.”

Geller said Wilcox used the attack as a teaching experience.

“Wilcox said he used this event to teach about neo-fascism in Europe,” Geller said. “The attackers, the initial attackers were skinheads or appeared to be skinheads, a shaven-head neo fascist movement. He actually turned this potentially unpleasant moment into a very good teachable moment.”

He said between the attacks two weeks ago and the soccer world cup this summer in Germany, the Study Abroad Office is re-emphasizing the dangers of soccer hooliganism, something they had already covered, Geller said.

Becky Robinson, sophomore in LAS, said she is leaving to study abroad in southern Africa this week and believes she has been appropriately cautioned about the dangers of going to another country.

“(My study abroad adviser) has been sending me updates about what’s going on in countries in the region,” Robinson said. “There’s really nothing that would make me change my mind (about going).”