Barcelona President Targets Real Madrid with Accusations over Refereeing Bias

Joan Laporta, the President of Barcelona Football Club, has embarked on a fiery tirade against arch-rivals Real Madrid. He alleges that the team is historically privileged with favorable refereeing decisions. The comments surfaced during an exhaustive interview on Barça One and circulated amidst references to the Negreira case, with the investigation revolving around Barcelona and Real Madrid coming forward as an 'affected party.'

Laporta, who presided over Barcelona from 2003 to 2010 and recently cleared of charges relevant to the case, expressed his satisfaction with the freedom from indictment and further investigation. He mentions surprise at the scrutiny placed on Barcelona considering their documented adherence to regulation. In a stark contrast, he lambasted Real Madrid for their perceived undue advantage, asserting they are traditionally favored by referees.

Laporta finds Real Madrid‘s engagement and subsequent extension of the Negreira investigation to be disingenuous, stating, "To win is not worth everything." He chooses to question why ‘Los Blancos’ adopt this approach, especially since, according to Laporta, referees largely favor them. His hardline stance is evident, as he concludes that this is a calculated campaign against Barcelona's image, with the motive of influencing refereeing judgments.

This isn't a solitary occurrence of Laporta criticizing Real Madrid concerning referees, as he previously claimed the Madrid-based team manipulates officials via Real Madrid TV, thereby 'corrupting the contest.' Hence, this pace-setting feud will surely keep fans, and the football world at large, eagerly expecting a rebuttal from Real Madrid.