‘It is an aberration’ – Barcelona president hits out at Florentino Perez and Real Madrid | OneFootball

There is no love lost between Barcelona and Real Madrid. For years, the two heavyweights of Spanish football have been warring, both on and off the pitch, and the situation has gotten worse in recent months.

Barcelona have been far from pleased with Real Madrid’s stance on the Negreira scandal, in which the former were accused of bribing the Vice President of the Referees’ Committee.

As such, Barça president Joan Laporta appears to lash out at Real Madrid at every opportunity he gets, with him and the Catalans’ manager Xavi Hernandez recently starting to accuse Los Blancos of trying to influence referees through the videos posted on RMTV.

‘It’s a shame’

During an interview with Mundo Deportivo this week, Laporta once again stirred up the topic, calling what Real Madrid TV was doing a ‘shame’ and asking the relevant authorities to intervene.

“I’m still angry and indignant because it’s a shame what Real Madrid TV is doing. I think that the football regulators should intervene here because this is influencing, trying to influence the referees every week, every other week,” he said.

When asked if he understands why the Referees’ Technical Committee has not taken legal action against Real Madrid, Laporta replied:

“They have already made a statement. They must be studying it. Imagine if we were like that all day long, we would have been criminalised and sanctioned by now.”

Laporta and Perez at loggerheads. (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

“I think that of course, it deserves an exemplary sanction. I don’t agree at all with the way Real Madrid TV is acting in this matter because it can also adulterate the competition.”

“If measures are not taken, it could adulterate the competition. I said it at the time. They don’t stop, they don’t stop,” he added.

On relationship with Florentino Perez

Laporta was then asked about his equation with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, to which he admitted things were not good, citing the Merengues’ stance on the Negreira case as an issue.

“Nowadays, with Real Madrid there is not a good relationship. Because he has appeared in the ‘Negreira case’ and it is an aberration what they are doing,” Laporta lashed out.

“They asked to extend the investigation when there is nothing and they won’t find anything because there is nothing.

“Our version is what it is and the contradictory versions or the versions that have been put forward have not been proven in any way, because they do not exist.

“That it is Barça who are trying to influence the referees when that is what they are doing. And it is this double game that they are playing that I don’t find right.”