Joan Laporta used a Johan Cruyff tribute event in Sitges on Saturday to launch a fierce attack on Real Madrid, accusing Barcelona’s rivals of using the Negreira case to distract from the Catalan club’s sporting success.
Key takeaways
- Laporta said Real Madrid were trying to damage Barcelona’s reputation through the Negreira investigation.
- UEFA confirmed in early October that it had received documents from Real Madrid concerning the case.
- Barcelona are under suspicion over payments of around €7.3 million made between 2001 and 2018.
- The payments were made to the former vice-president of the Spanish Football Federation’s Technical Committee of Referees.
- Laporta also criticised Madrid’s absence of representatives at a recent European Football Clubs congress.
Laporta turns the spotlight on Madrid
Speaking to reporters at the event north-west of Barcelona, the 64-year-old president argued that Madrid were raising other issues because they wanted to reduce attention on Barcelona’s current standing.
“In Madrid they bring up other subjects to shift the focus,” Laporta said. “Barcelona are living through a very good period. We are enjoying football, a beautiful moment in our history and international recognition.”
He pointed to the number of world champions in the squad, saying nine Barcelona players had won the World Cup, while also praising a side he believes is exciting supporters and possesses leading figures in several positions.
Laporta said Madrid were seeking to play down those achievements. He insisted Barcelona had no wrongdoing to answer for in the Negreira affair and claimed their opponents’ objective was simply to discredit the club.
UEFA documents and the Negreira investigation
The dispute comes after UEFA acknowledged at the start of October that Real Madrid had submitted material connected to the ongoing Negreira investigation.
Barcelona are suspected of corruption and influence peddling over payments totalling approximately €7.3 million between 2001 and 2018. The money was paid to the former deputy head of the Spanish federation’s refereeing technical committee.
Laporta widened his criticism beyond the investigation, saying Madrid were opposed to “everything and everyone”. He argued that the club were losing standing, recognition and credibility in Spain and abroad.
As an example, he referred to a European Football Clubs congress he attended, where he said Real Madrid had no representatives present. Laporta described the club’s approach as haughty, authoritarian and arrogant.
