Barcelona are to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after UEFA turned down their appeal against punishments for the flying of estelada flags at the Camp Nou.
UEFA has held that the pro-Catalan independence, esteladas, are political symbols which are not allowed inside stadiums during Champions League games, leading to combined fines of €70,000 through recent months and talk of further punishments including partial or full ground closures.
Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu and other senior club figures have replied that their fans should be free to express themselves as they wish -- and the Camp Nou club have said they would fight the UEFA punishments as far as possible.
A club statement has now confirmed that UEFA has rejected the Blaugrana club's arguments, so Barca will immediately take the next step of appealing to CAS.
"UEFA have notified us of the decision to not accept the appeal presented by the club regarding the punishing of 'independencia' chants and estalades exhibited in the Camp Nou during the Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen," the statement said.
"UEFA have notified Barcelona and the Spanish FA of the decision. As had been foreseen, Barcelona will immediately present an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS]."
Talks between Barca and UEFA figures in late October about the issue were supposed to lead to a "pause" while the matter was considered. However, 30,000 esteladas were then waved inside the ground during early November's 3-0 UCL Group E win at home to BATE Borisov.
The Champions League anthem has also been regularly whistled when played at the Camp Nou, along with fans chants of "UEFA is a mafia."
Bartomeu has been more cautious with his public comments, but did say that his ultimate aim was to change UEFA's statutes so that the flying of esteladas or other similar symbols would no longer be an offence.
Catalan flags have long been flown at Barcelona games, however there is a distinction between the pro-independence estelada, which also features a white star on a blue triangle, and the more neutral Senyera, which has a red star on yellow triangle].