Florentino Pérez won't be in the VIP box at the Camp Nou for Sunday's eagerly awaited Clásico. The Real Madrid president's absence, now officially confirmed, underlines just how wide the rift between Spanish football's two giants has grown, with representation of the club left to his deputy and right-hand man.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", the Real Madrid board have decided the club will be represented at the league's showpiece clash by vice-president Eduardo Fernández de Blas, one of Pérez's most prominent advisers and the club's quiet decision-maker, alongside the legend José Martínez "Pirri", the former player and honorary president since 2023.
A recurring absence and tense relations
This is nothing new. Pérez took the same approach in last season's Clásico, a clear sign of the lingering tension between the two clubs in the wake of his scathing attack on Barcelona over the notorious Negreira case, which carved a deep split between the two boards.
"Pirri" had also taken his seat in the VIP box for the last Clásico at the Camp Nou on 10 May, the match in which Barcelona clinched the La Liga title for the second year running with a 2-0 win under Hansi Flick.
Barcelona have yet to receive any word on whether Emilio Butragueño, the director of institutional relations, will travel. His absence too would be notable alongside the president's, mirroring what happened in last season's league Clásico.
Riquelme's bombshell in the box
One question could complicate the picture further. Uncertainty still surrounds Enrique Riquelme, the candidate who ran against Florentino Pérez in Real Madrid's recent presidential elections.
Riquelme has made clear he wants to watch the Clásico live from the Camp Nou, as he did at the recent meeting between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano. A packed schedule means he won't make his final decision until Saturday.
His appearance in the VIP box at Atlético's stadium caused a huge controversy. It infuriated Florentino Pérez, who threatened to leave on the spot if he ran into his rival, according to the Spanish radio station "Cope".
Between Pérez's boycott, the representation of Fernández de Blas and Pirri, and the possibility of Riquelme turning up, Sunday's Clásico looks set to be a battle fought off the pitch as much as on it.