'A historic stroke of luck!' - Joan Laporta blasts Real Madrid's stoppage time winner vs Celta and argues Barcelona would have had goal disallowed

The controversy stems from a late Federico Valverde goal that secured a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid against Celta Vigo on Friday. Laporta insisted the strike should have been overturned for a foul in the build-up, citing it as an example of the kind of preferential treatment Madrid have historically received from referees.

Laporta did not hold back when discussing the climax of Madrid's recent outing, claiming a similar goal for Barcelona would have been scrubbed off. He stated: “They had their historical luck, but that goal should have been disallowed for a previous foul. A foul would have been whistled against us; it already happened to us at Anoeta.” This was a reference to Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat against Real Sociedad last January.

Suggesting systemic advantages, he added: “It's always the same at Real Madrid. When they're in trouble, they either get help from the referees or something happens... They're given a bit of luck."

Laporta is on the campaign trail ahead of Barcelona's presidential elections taking place next week. Turning his sights on his main opponent, Victor Font, Laporta framed the election as a choice between genuine leadership and a detached, data-driven approach. He warned members against Font’s methodology, claiming: “The only risk that Barca’s sporting project has is Victor Font. He has Barca on a computer. We cannot leave Barca in his hands.”

Laporta also criticised Font’s stance on the Negreira legal battle, labelling the challenger’s refusal to change his position as a sign of stubbornness. Font said that his vision for Barcelona "contrasts sharply with the Barça we've had for decades. The Barca of opacity, of lack of transparency, the Barca of Negreira, of the Neymar case, of Bartogate." 

Laporta responded: “Not retracting is obtuse, stubborn,” finishing with a final warning: “He should stop peddling nonsense and creating a climate of confusion. We cannot have another theorist leading us to ruin.”