La Liga: Joan Laporta Fires Back at Real Madrid's Florentino Perez Amid Negreira Storm
- Florentino Perez reignited explosive Negreira accusations, triggering another political storm between Spain’s biggest clubs
- Joan Laporta hit back with a fierce counterattack, accusing Real Madrid of ‘weekly referee manipulation’
- Laporta cited recent officiating decisions involving Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Jr. as evidence of Madrid’s favourable treatment
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has launched a fiery counterattack on Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez after the Los Blancos supremo revived accusations connected to the Negreira case.
Perez used his latest Assembly address to once again question Barcelona's integrity, linking the club’s golden era to alleged payments made to former refereeing vice-president Jose María Enríquez Negreira.
Source: Getty Images
His remarks instantly reignited one of Spanish football’s most divisive sagas, especially with the La Liga title battle intensifying.
According to Madrid Universal, Perez displayed charts, historical sanctions, and disciplinary trends as he argued that Barcelona benefited from undue influence between 2001 and 2018, the period in which the Catalan club allegedly paid €8.4 million to Negreira.
“What’s not normal is that Barcelona paid the vice president of referees more than €8m across 17 years — for any reason,” Perez told club members.
He then stressed that Negreira held a “key role” in determining referee promotions and demotions, adding that this timeframe coincided with Barcelona’s most successful spell domestically.
Florentino Perez also highlighted numerical gaps, stating:
“In 2021, Real Madrid had a red-card balance of two. Barcelona’s was 61 — a 59-card difference. Yet in Europe, the figures are almost identical: +12 for Barça and +13 for Madrid.”
His accusations set the stage for a swift and confrontational response from Laporta during an institutional visit to Andorra.
Joan Laporta hits back at Florentino Perez
Meanwhile, according to Football Espana, Joan Laporta dismissed Perez’s claims as yet another attempt to rewrite history and damage Barcelona’s image. He accused Madrid of harbouring an unhealthy fixation on their rivals:
“These statements reveal Madrid’s obsession with Barça. They keep stretching the Negreira case like chewing gum because they know there’s nothing there. Barça never bribed referees, and historically referees have favoured Madrid, not us.”
Source: Getty Images
He further alleged that Madrid’s media machinery fuels weekly pressure on officials:
“Real Madrid TV tries to influence referees every single week. If they’re suffering from ‘Barcelona-itis’, I’m delighted, because these are usually moments when Barça is strong and winning.”
Laporta then pointed to Real Madrid’s recent 2-2 draw at Elche, citing two controversial goals involving Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior. He argued that decisions went Madrid’s way and claimed Barça should be leading the league.
He closed by framing Madrid’s accusations as a reaction to Barcelona’s iconic period of dominance between 2004 and 2015:
“They’re searching for excuses because they didn’t like that Barça was the world’s best team for more than a decade, admired everywhere for our football and our success.”
Laporta explains why Nico Williams' deal failed
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Joan Laporta revealed the real reasons Barcelona failed to sign their top summer target, Nico Williams, from Athletic Club.
He explained that the club’s financial limitations and the last-minute demands by the players' camp made the deal impossible despite strong interest.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
