Barcelona players chased off by Espanyol fans as they celebrate La Liga title win

Barcelona players were chased from the pitch by angry Espanyol supporters as they celebrated their La Liga triumph on Sunday, with coach Xavi saying it was hard to "control" the team's emotions after winning.

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The Catalan giants thrashed their relegation-threatened neighbours 4-2 at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella and celebrated somewhat provocatively on the pitch at full-time, with around 100 Espanyol fans invading the pitch.

Barcelona players sprinted down the tunnel to safety and Xavi said his team had to be respectful as they were not in their stadium.

"It was a very emotional moment, a moment very hard not to celebrate, after so many months of working," Xavi told reporters.

"We didn't celebrate just because we were at Espanyol's ground."

The coach said he did not see the supporters rushing onto the pitch as he had already headed in and had told his players to follow.

"I told them to come in because I thought that was enough," Xavi told Movistar.

"The celebration is normal, but I know we're not at home and we can't lack respect.

"I know [emotions are] difficult to control but I told them the best thing would be to get inside now."

Robert Lewandowski struck twice for Barcelona, along with goals for Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde, while Javi Puado and Joselu pulled two back late on for the hosts.

Barcelona have endured a troubled period on and off the pitch in recent years but their triumph signals significant improvement, with Xavi winning his first major trophy since taking over in November 2021.

President Joan Laporta's rebuild was widely criticised last summer in light of the club's perilous financial situation.

Early Champions League elimination was a blow, but the club won the Spanish Super Cup in January, before sealing La Liga glory with four games to spare.

"It's a magnificent feeling, [of] work well done," Xavi told Movistar.

"Ten months of work and sacrifice. The fans deserve it, the club, it gives us stability and security that things are being done well.

"We sealed La Liga with a fantastic game, we were brilliant."

While Barca secured a 27th Spanish title, defeat pushed Espanyol further into relegation trouble with the club second bottom and four points from safety.

Luis Garcia's side have four games left to save themselves, with a trip to mid-table Rayo Vallecano up next.

Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

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Neil Thomson – THE BIO

Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.

Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.

Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.

Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.

Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.

Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.