Rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid takes flip for worse

The days of a healthful rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid are over.

What was a cordial relationship between the Spanish powerhouses has turned ugly following the most recent scandal involving Barcelona over funds to a former refereeing official.

Neither membership is holding once more, and there isn’t any hiding the connection has been strained.

“It’s damaged,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta said. “We have had an harmonious institutional relationship with all clubs, including Madrid. The ‘clasico’ is the greatest spectacle in the world and there is always an intense rivalry. But to me, the institutional relationship has been harmed because of them.”

The golf tools have been shopping for and promoting direct assaults ever as a result of it grew to develop into public that Barcelona had paid higher than 7 million euros ($7.6 million) over numerous years for refereeing tales produced by the company of a former vp of the nation’s refereeing committee.

Barcelona was formally accused by prosecutors of alleged corruption in sports activities actions, fraudulent administration and falsification of mercantile documentation, and Madrid was among the many many golf tools that decided to take part inside the licensed proceedings. The workers expressed its “utmost concern regarding the gravity of the facts” and said it was an “affected party” inside the matter.

Barcelona has denied it tried to have an effect on referees with its funds, and Laporta said Monday in his first data conference to make clear the membership’s actions that it was “an unprecedented exercise in cynicism” for Madrid to say it was harmed by referees all through Barcelona’s most worthwhile interval.

“Everyone knows that Real Madrid is a club that is historically favored by refereeing decisions, and continues to be now,” Laporta said. “It’s a club that has been known for being the club of the regime, because of its proximity to those in power politically, economically and in sports.”

Laporta claimed that for seven a very long time the best refereeing officers inside the nation had been linked to Madrid.

“For 70 years, those in charge of making sure that there was justice on the field were either former members or players or officials from Madrid,” he said in one in all many harshest assaults however by Barcelona.

Madrid didn’t preserve quiet, and late Monday revealed a video on its television channel and social media accounts refuting Laporta’s claims.

Using pictures from Laporta’s data conference and former footage of events related to Barcelona’s historic previous, Madrid linked a video to former dictator Gen. Francisco Franco, along with by means of the inauguration of Camp Nou Stadium. The video of higher than 4 minutes ended with the question, “What was the team of the regime?”

Barcelona and Madrid over time have had a healthful relationship and an unspoken pact of no aggression between the golf tools, along with almost about recruiting avid gamers in youth squads or in factors related to the Spanish soccer federation and the Spanish league. They have been companions inside the try to create the Super League, and had been nonetheless working collectively to aim to get the enterprise launched.

Laporta said the now-strained relationship between the golf tools should not affect the Super League enterprise.

“Barcelona is not involved in the Super league because of other clubs,” he said. “We are involved because we think it’s important for the sustainability of European soccer.”

Laporta said he believed Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who didn’t attend the ultimate two “clasicos” at Camp Nou, has been “under a lot of pressure by Madrid fans.” Still, he said he believed Madrid must have waited longer sooner than deciding to take part inside the licensed proceedings in opposition to Barcelona.

On the sphere, the teams confronted each other 5 events this season, with three victories by Barcelona and two by Madrid, along with a 4-0 rout of the Catalan membership at Camp Nou inside the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Barcelona beat Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium inside the first leg of the Copa del Rey, and likewise inside the Spanish Super Cup closing in Saudi Arabia. It moreover acquired inside the closing Spanish league recreation between the golf tools in a finish end result that allowed the Catalan membership to take an unlimited step in direction of worthwhile the title. It has an 11-point lead over Madrid with 9 video video games remaining.