Spanish police have detained the Villarreal supporter who threw a banana at Barcelona defender Daniel Alves on Sunday and charged him with a "breach of fundamental rights and civil liberties".

Images of Alves picking up the banana and taking a bite during the La Liga match were beamed around the world and he was widely backed by fellow players and other public figures who denounced the apparent racist taunt.

Police in Spain said 26-year-old David Campayo Lleo was arrested. Spanish media are reporting he has been fired from a role on the coaching staff of one of Villarreal's youth teams after the arrest but Villarreal would not confirm nor deny reports about Campayo Lleo's role with the club when questioned about their authenticity.

He faces from one to three years in prison if found guilty of charges related to racist provocation.

Villarreal have already banned Campayo Lleo from the team’s El Madrigal Stadium for life.

The Spanish league is expected to hand down punishment after the incident was listed in the referee’s match report of Barcelona’s 3-2 win.

Before the arrest Alves, who has criticised the level of racism in Spain before, said he would name and shame the culprit if he could.

“If I could, I would put a photo of the fan on the internet so that he would be shamed,” Alves told Brazil’s Radio Globo. “There is racism against foreigners (in Spain). They sell the country as being first world but in certain things they are very backward.”