Laporta Fires Back at Florentino Perez, Calls Real Madrid President’s Negreira Case Comments ‘Grotesque’

The bitter rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid has spilled decisively off the pitch, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta delivering a sharp public response to Florentino Perez following comments the Real Madrid president made regarding the ongoing Negreira case.

The Negreira affair — a refereeing investigation centring on payments made by Barcelona to a former Spanish refereeing official — has become a flashpoint between the two clubs. Perez has previously claimed the controversy resulted in titles being “stolen” from Real Madrid, a position Laporta forcefully rejected during a press conference, according to Marca.

“I think it was grotesque, but it had a strategy,” Laporta said. “It was meant to divert attention from two years without winning anything, and this has them very worried.”

Laporta did not stop there. He framed Perez’s public statements as a deliberate distraction tactic designed to deflect scrutiny from Real Madrid’s recent domestic and European trophy drought, suggesting the club feels compelled to “justify the unjustifiable.”

“They have to justify the unjustifiable somehow, and the best way is to stir up trouble and throw everything at Barcelona,” Laporta continued. “We’re not going to allow this. I’m sure we at the club will react.”

The Barcelona president drew a clear line regarding the limits of his tolerance for cross-town criticism, framing his response as a matter of institutional defence rather than personal animosity toward Perez.

“As long as they don’t use Barca to cover up their problems, I respect him. When they use Barca, we react,” he stated.

Laporta also took direct aim at the content of Perez’s press conference, characterising it as a platform for misinformation. “In that press conference, they tried to use Barca in a grotesque way, spreading falsehoods about a certain issue, stating things that aren’t true,” he said, adding that Barcelona vice-president Yuste had already addressed the matter publicly — a characterisation Laporta said he endorsed. “When they talk about Barca, we react forcefully. Yuste came out and described that press conference, and I agree.”

The escalating war of words reflects a broader deterioration in the institutional relationship between Spain’s two most decorated clubs. Perez had previously declared that the bond between the two organisations was “completely broken,” and Laporta’s latest remarks offer little indication that any reconciliation is forthcoming.

The backdrop to this dispute is significant. Real Madrid ended the 2024-25 season without a major trophy, while Barcelona claimed La Liga under Hansi Flick. The Negreira case itself remains a live legal matter, with Spanish prosecutors having previously sought substantial sanctions against the club, though Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing and disputed the characterisation of the payments as corrupt.

With AFCON 2027 qualifiers, World Cup preparation cycles, and La Liga’s summer transfer window all approaching, the timing of this public spat adds an additional layer of institutional turbulence to what is already a volatile period in Spanish football. The Negreira investigation is expected to remain a point of contention well into the next competitive season.