Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president, launched a scathing attack on Real Madrid, insisting the Spanish giants have lost their credibility at both institutional and sporting levels. He also accused them of trying to divert attention from the Negreira case, arguing that their fiercest rivals are now paying the price for their wrong choices.
Speaking to the French newspaper "L'Equipe", Laporta said: "Real Madrid have lost their credibility, whether at the institutional or the sporting level."
On the Negreira case, he added: "They want to divert attention, but there is nothing. They no longer have any presence in the institutions. I think they chose the wrong path and are paying the price. There is no longer any relationship of any kind. In fact, I can say that we are now facing each other. They are seeking to divert attention."
Laporta had already warned about the problems Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid could cause, and he doubled down: "You cannot have more than one cockerel in the same henhouse, it never works. The priority in football is the collective and team spirit. If that is not available, the project will not succeed. They spent vast amounts of money to sign many players for very high fees, but they did not achieve the expected results."
"Barcelona's strength lies in having great talents, players from the La Masia academy, and others coming from different footballing cultures, then succeeding in forming a team that combines its elements in effective harmony," he continued. "As for them, they preferred to rely on individual skills and big signings. I think Real Madrid have lost their credibility and are trying to justify all of that by every means, by lying about the Negreira case, because they have not won anything in two years. We are winning and competing for all the titles."
The Catalan club's president has set the UEFA Champions League as Barcelona's main objective for the current season. The team now prepares for a huge week, with fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, two clubs towards which Laporta clearly feels very differently.
Getty ImagesLaporta praises Al-Khelaifi and Enrique
His relationship with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Paris Saint-Germain president, is "a friendship", Laporta explained: "There is great respect between us. He runs the European Club Association in a wonderful way, and so does Paris Saint-Germain, and I congratulate him on that. Paris Saint-Germain are the current champions of Europe."
Praise also went to Aleksander Ceferin, the UEFA president, whom Laporta described as an ally at the continental level. "He is the best president who could lead UEFA," he said.
Luis Enrique, the Paris Saint-Germain manager, came in for similar warmth. "The footballing identity of his teams carries something of Barcelona's original style," Laporta said. "Paris Saint-Germain's success came with Luis Enrique, and the team achieved victories because he gave it his personality. Credit goes to Nasser Al-Khelaifi for betting on signing him, as well as to Luis Campos."
Special words about Yamal
Lamine Yamal, enjoying a special period before a decisive week for Barcelona, earned glowing words too. "He has exceptional dimensions," Laporta said. "He is a player who knows how to entertain the fans. He is a genius! He carries within him that magic and that exceptional personality. It is not only about the way he plays, but also about his mentality. Lamine represents fun and excitement, and football at the present time cannot be imagined without him."