Real Madrid have 'acute Barcelonitis!' - Joan Laporta accuses president Florentino Perez & Co of obsession with Barcelona as he fires back over fierce comments on Negreira case

The war of words between Spain's two footballing superpowers has reached a fever pitch, with Barcelona president Laporta launching a sarcastic yet stinging counter-attack against his counterpart at the Santiago Bernabeu. Just days after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez delivered a blistering address to his club's members, describing the 'Negreira Case' as the biggest scandal in football history, Laporta has laughed off the aggression, diagnosing the reigning European champions with a severe complex regarding the Catalan giants.

The relationship between the two clubs, which had recently been defined by a convenient alliance over the European Super League project, appears to have completely fractured. Following Perez's "scorched earth" speech in which he attacked Barcelona, La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the media, Laporta faced the press to offer his own medical assessment of the situation in the capital.

Speaking to reporters, the Blaugrana supremo suggested that Real Madrid’s relentless focus on Barcelona’s legal troubles is symptomatic of a deeper psychological issue within the 'heart' of their fanbase. Far from being intimidated by Madrid's private prosecution in the Negreira case or Perez's public denunciations, Laporta claimed the obsession has now mutated into something chronic.

"Before it was 'Barcelonitis', but now it is 'acute Barcelonitis'," Laporta declared. "I see that Barcelonitis is installed in the heart of Madrid fans."

When pressed on why he believes Madrid have adopted such an aggressive stance recently, Laporta shrugged off the specific legal arguments and pointed instead to the mental state of their rivals.

"Ask them," he retorted. "What I see is that they have acute Barcelonitis, and this suits us fine."

In Laporta’s view, the noise coming from the Bernabeu is actually a positive signal for his own club. He argued that if Real Madrid are spending their General Assemblies dissecting Barcelona’s history and legal battles, they are neglecting their own house.

"It means that they are more worried about us than what they really have to worry about," he added, suggesting that the distraction will ultimately cost Los Blancos on the pitch.

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Perhaps the most revealing part of Laporta’s rebuttal was his explanation for why the tone has shifted so dramatically. For several years, Laporta and Perez were strange bedfellows, united against UEFA and La Liga president Javier Tebas in their pursuit of the European Super League. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder as the last two holdouts of the breakaway project.

However, Laporta hinted that this alliance is now dead in the water, and that Madrid’s renewed hostility stems from Barcelona’s decision to pivot back towards the establishment.

"If the discourse has changed, it is possibly because a year ago there were certain coincidences in some projects and now, seeing that this project has not borne fruit, has not gelled," Laporta explained, alluding to the stalled Super League plans.

He confirmed that Barcelona are now actively seeking to repair their relationship with European football's governing body, leaving Real Madrid isolated in their rebellion. "We have a clear positioning of reaching an agreement with UEFA and I think it is best for our club," he stated. This strategic divergence appears to have removed the diplomatic muzzle that was previously keeping Perez from fully unleashing his fury over the Negreira scandal.

Laporta’s comments come in direct response to Perez’s assertion that "the truth must be known" regarding the payments Barcelona made to former refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Perez had told Madrid members that it was "madness" that there had been no sporting consequences for Barca paying over €7 million to a vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees over an 18-year period.

While Madrid manager Xabi Alonso backed his president by claiming the lack of punishment "surprises people abroad," Laporta remains unmoved. He views the constant barrage of criticism from Madrid not as a pursuit of justice, but as a tactic to destabilise his team, a tactic he welcomes.

"Let them keep talking constantly about Barça from the capital, from our eternal rival," Laporta concluded with a message of defiance. "Acute Barcelonitis suits us fine."

As the legal proceedings concerning the Negreira case continue to wind through the Spanish courts, the diplomatic ceasefire between El Clasico rivals is definitively over. With Madrid demanding "justice" and Barca diagnosing "obsession," the stage is set for a season where the battles in the boardroom are just as fierce as those on the pitch.