Real Madrid have released an extraordinary video attempting to disarm claims from Barcelona president Joan Laporta that they were ‘the club of the regime’.
Laporta hit out at Los Blancos during Monday’s press conference to explain Barça’s involvement in the Negreira case.
Barcelona are alleged to have paid former referee chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira for analysis and information on match officials, with Spanish authorities charging the club with ‘continuous sporting corruption’.
UEFA have also opened an investigation of their own and could ban Barça from entering the Champions League.
But at a long-awaited press conference, Laporta suggested that it was Real Madrid who have been historically favoured as they were ‘the club of the regime’ when dictator Francisco Franco ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975.
“[Real Madrid] claim to feel aggravated in sporting terms by this. This comes from a club, as we all know, that has been favoured from refereeing back in history and still nowadays. A club that was regarded as ‘the club of the regime’ back in the days,” Laporta said.
“Why was that? Because of how close they were to the political, economical and sportive power…it might have to be remembered that during seven decades, the majority of presidents and officials from the refereeing committee were former Real Madrid partners, former Real Madrid footballers or former Real Madrid executives. During 70 years, the people in charge to make decisions in that regard were from Real Madrid.”
Real Madrid have not taken kindly to Laporta’s outburst, and released an incredible video on Monday night attempting to flip this accusation back onto Barcelona.
The four-and-a-half minute video posed the question, ‘Which is the team of the regime?’, and delved into Barça’s connections to and successes in the Franco era.
Real Madrid highlighted that they endured a 15-year title drought whereas Barcelona won La Liga eight times and the old Copa del Generalisimo (now the Copa del Rey) on nine occasions.
Whereas Real Madrid legend Santiago Bernabeu, whom their stadium is named after, furiously hated the notion that Los Blancos were Franco’s team, Barcelona’s Camp Nou ground was opened by the dictator’s general minister.
They also accuse Barcelona of making Franco an honorary club member and presenting him with awards on three occasions.
