Barcelona president Joan Laporta has caused some anger amongst Real Madrid supporters after publicly contrasting the two clubs’ identities, casting Real as aligned with establishment influence and Barcelona as a defender of member-driven freedom.
His comments, delivered at a La Vanguardia event, came amid already strained ties between the clubs and swiftly drew angry reactions from Madrid supporters and commentators.
Asked about Real’s high-profile VIP guests and president Florentino Pérez’s political connections, Laporta suggested the Bernabéu’s executive box symbolizes institutional power. By contrast, he framed Barça as a democratic institution owned by its members, committed to openness, social causes and community values. The remarks arrived against the backdrop of recent boardroom clashes, including disputes tied to the Negreira affair and the fallout from Super League discussions.
Laporta emphasized Barcelona’s refusal to follow a private-company model, stressing that the club’s member-owned status is central to its character. He said that investors backing the stadium project appreciated that Barça remained a socios-led club and that the club has structured its finances to avoid mortgaging that identity. “Barca isn’t a business, it’s an institution,” he said, reiterating commitments to sustainability, equality and diversity.
On the subject of the Super League and collaboration between elite clubs, Laporta said he initially engaged with the idea but grew wary when he saw Real Madrid’s involvement in alternative platforms. He urged a calmer, cooperative approach to future reforms in football, arguing that conflict and secrecy harm the sport’s stability.
For Madrid supporters, Laporta’s language felt like an attack that weaponises history and politics in a sporting rivalry. For Barça’s base, his defense of the club’s socio model and cultural mission reaffirmed long-standing priorities. Either way, the episode underlines how the clubs’ disagreements have shifted from transfers and trophies into battles over governance, finance and the future shape of European football.
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