The Catalan hockey player Alex Fabregas has been targeted by death threats after revealing he is only representing Spain at the London 2012 Olympics as he "has no other choice".
Fabregas told the newspaper Ara: "I play in the Spanish team because there's no other team I can play with, I have no other choice. I feel Catalan. I do not feel the same way listening to the Spanish anthem as I do listening to Els Segadors."
He added: "I enjoy playing in the team for myself, for my peers and for the people who come to see me. But at no point do I feel I am playing for Spain."
The response to his statement included online death threats and calls for his expulsion from the side, prompting Fabregas to close his Twitter account.
Fabregas is one of the key players in the Spain side, who play Team GB on Tuesday night. Of the 18 players in Spain's London 2012 team, 16 are Catalan.
Before the Games Fabregas was also vocal on the subject of the garish red and yellow Olympic uniforms designed for the Spain team, tweeting: "Olympic outfit – there aren't enough adjectives."
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