BARCELONA — Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, two clubs that are known worldwide for one of the biggest rivalries in world football, had engaged in a battle of words off the pitch during the infamous 'Barca gate' scandal in 2023. The memories of that incident live fresh in Barcelona president Joan Laporta's heart as he has now stated that the clubs do not hold good relations since then.
“Relationship with Real Madrid? Not good. They got involved in Negreira case, which is unacceptable,” said Laporta in a press conference on Tuesday.
In March 2023, Barca, ex-club officials and the former vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, were indicted for “corruption”, “breach of trust” and “false business records” over payments made by the club.
Following the allegations, Spanish outlet Marca reported that a Madrid spokesperson claimed the club believed the allegations to be 'indications of sports corruption' from Barcelona’s side.
Laporta then proceeded to call a press conference and called Real Madrid a "team of the regime".
Real then responded with a four-minute video outlining Barcelona's links with former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, in an apparent response to a comment made by the Blaugrana president. The video showed Barcelona's connections with Franco through archive footage and text.
In May 2024, the Provincial Court of Barcelona ruled against the judge’s decision to pursue further potential charges of bribery.
Another situation that has been spoken about Barcelona in recent times is the club's financial struggles. However, Laporta also spoke about the club’s current financial strength and the signing of Dani Olmo.
“Three years ago, the club was in a situation of risk and out of control. We have worked on economic recovery and the club is now better financially, socially and sportingly. The arrival of Dani Olmo proves what I said few months ago: yes, Barça was ready to sign players of high-level contracts,” he added.