'He can say whatever he wants' - Barcelona star applauds as ex-Betis player has transfer to third tier side cancelled FOUR HOURS after confirming move due to anti-Catalan statements

The 25-year-old defender had joined Gimnastic from Cordoba, but the deal lasted only four hours as the Primera Federacion club swiftly annulled it after severe backlash from fans. Notably, Calderon had made some anti-Catalan statements after securing promotion with Cordoba to the Second Division. The incident occurred last year after the qualifying round of play-off between the Andalusian team and Barca Atletic.

"I sh*t on all dead Catalans," the left-back said in a live broadcast on his Instagram account. He later apologised, saying: "I apologise to all the people of Barcelona and all Catalans for my actions during this afternoon's live stream." 

Barca midfielder Casado, who clashed with Calderon during that playoff tie, publicly welcomed Nastic's decision, which earned him more praise from La Liga fans.

The 21-year-old midfielder reacted to Nastic’s announcement reversing Calderon’s signing by leaving an applause emoji in the comments section. His comment has garnered over 2k likes. 

instagram/nastictarragona

Speaking on El Chiringuito, Calderon addressed Casado’s reaction, saying: "I'm not surprised, to be honest. He can say whatever he wants, just like I did, because I made a mistake at the time. He mentioned applause, so applause for him too."

Casado’s social media reaction comes while his own future at Barcelona is under discussion. Despite speculation and Atletico Madrid interest, Casado is determined to break into the first team and has no desire to leave the club he grew up in. 

For Calderon, the fallout from his comments has proven costly, and it remains to be seen where and when his next opportunity will come.