Joan Laporta, Barcelona president
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has left the door open to further comments on Real Madrid’s latest refereeing controversy, as the increasingly hostile relationship between the two Spanish giants continues to deteriorate.
Speaking at a recent public appearance, Laporta declined to discuss the issue in detail but made it clear that he intended to address the matter later.
His remarks come amid growing tensions surrounding the refereeing debate and Real Madrid’s continued campaign over Barcelona’s Negreira case.
Laporta postpones comments on Real Madrid refereeing controversy
Rather than deliver an immediate assessment, the Barcelona president suggested that there would be an opportunity to revisit the controversy in the coming days.
“There’ll be time to talk about the Real Madrid match from tomorrow onwards. It’s quite a complex issue,” he said, as per SPORT.
The comment leaves Laporta’s position on the latest incident to be explored further, although his stance towards Real Madrid is already well established.
Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez and FC Barcelona President, Joan Laporta
Laporta has launched another attack on Real Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
This is because relations between the clubs have deteriorated significantly, with the Negreira case becoming a major source of friction between their respective leaderships.
Real Madrid’s public stance on the case has drawn repeated criticism from Barcelona, whose president believes the dispute has damaged the relationship beyond repair.
Accusing Real Madrid of losing credibility
Laporta has previously delivered a direct assessment of the institutional divide between the rivals, accusing Real Madrid of using the Negreira controversy to shift attention away from other matters.
“Real Madrid have lost credibility, both institutionally and in sporting terms,” he said recently.
“There is no relationship between us anymore. I would even say that we are now in confrontation with each other. They are trying to divert attention.”
The comments from the Barcelona chief explain how far relations have fallen between the clubs.
Real Madrid and Barcelona presidents, Florentino Perez and Joan Laporta
Laporta had previously questioned Real Madrid’s transfer approach. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)
What was once a rivalry largely based on competition on the pitch has increasingly been accompanied by public disputes and accusations from their respective leaderships.
Laporta questions Real Madrid’s star-driven transfer approach
Laporta has also questioned Real Madrid’s approach to assembling a squad filled with prominent attacking talent, suggesting that having too many leading personalities in one team can create difficulties.
“Having more than one rooster in the same henhouse can never work,” he said.
With tensions over the Negreira case and refereeing continuing to influence the public conversation, the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid shows little sign of cooling.
Laporta’s latest comments suggest he intends to return to the refereeing issue, potentially adding another chapter to an increasingly bitter institutional dispute.
Real Madrid want six Premier League clubs to cough up €80 million over abandoned Super League project
Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president
Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images
The European Super League project that had shook European football few years ago is now dead in the water, with Real Madrid being the last club to pull out.
The club have since built a good relationship with UEFA and are no longer on the association’s bad books.
That being said, Real Madrid are not quite ready to let one loose end go, particularly when it comes to the financial side of things.
Real Madrid chase the English clubs for ESL costs
According to The Athletic, Real Madrid want the six Premier League clubs that originally signed up to the Super League to pay their share of the project’s initial costs.
Jose Mourinho and Florentino Perez of Real Madrid
Real Madrid are no longer associated with the ESL project. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)
It appears the Spanish club believe Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham should still be liable for the setup costs, despite having pulled out within days of the ill-fated April 2021 launch.
The report adds that the costs could total as much as €80 million.
Thus far, it has been Real Madrid, alongside Barcelona and Juventus, who have shouldered the promotional outlay associated with the breakaway plans.
The dispute is likely to drag
The clubs had all signed up to a shareholders’ agreement for the European Super League Company, a Spain-based holding company.
Real Madrid flag
Real Madrid likely set for a long legal battle. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Whether the six English sides remain bound to contribute will likely hinge on how the contract’s wording, around clubs agreeing to “jointly own and manage” the project, is interpreted, and whether that language carries financial obligations.
The leaked ESL documents make no explicit mention of sharing costs, which means a resolution is unlikely to come swiftly.
Should Real Madrid genuinely wish to recover the money, they may ultimately have to pursue the matter through the courts.
The request arrives as Madrid prepare to appoint Bernd Reichart, former CEO of A22, the company that drove the Super League and later Unify League plans, as their new head of business operations.