Real Madrid has released a video in response to comments made by Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who accused Los Blancos of being “the club of the regime.”
Laporta made the comments during a press conference discussing Barça’s involvement in the Negreira case, in which they are alleged to have paid for analysis and information on match officials.
Spanish authorities have charged Barcelona with “continuous sporting corruption,” and UEFA has opened its own investigation, which could lead to a Champions League ban.
Laporta suggested that Real Madrid has historically been favored by referees and officials because they were “the club of the regime” during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
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He argued that Real Madrid was close to political, economic, and sporting power and that for seven decades, the majority of presidents and officials from the refereeing committee were former Real Madrid partners, footballers, or executives.
Real Madrid responded with a four-and-a-half-minute video asking, “Which is the team of the regime?” The video explores Barcelona’s connections to and successes during the Franco era, highlighting that Barcelona won La Liga eight times and the Copa del Generalisimo (now the Copa del Rey) nine times, while Real Madrid endured a 15-year title drought.
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They also note that Barcelona’s Camp Nou ground was opened by Franco’s general minister and that Barcelona made Franco an honorary club member and presented him with awards on three occasions.
Real Madrid’s response attempts to flip Laporta’s accusation back onto Barcelona, arguing that they were also a part of the Franco regime’s power structure.
The video is a continuation of the long-standing rivalry between the two clubs, which has been fueled by political and cultural differences as well as sporting competition.
The Negreira case is the latest chapter in this rivalry, and both clubs will be closely watching the outcome of the investigations by Spanish and European authorities.