Sports
Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, made significant statements from Copenhagen, Denmark, where he participated in the 33rd General Assembly of the European Club Association (ECA). Speaking to "Mundo Deportivo," Laporta addressed a range of issues concerning the Catalan club, most notably the strained relationship with their eternal rival, Real Madrid. Laporta utilized Real Madrid's absence from the assembly to discuss the ongoing dispute, which has escalated following the lawsuit filed by Barcelona against Florentino Pérez, the president of the royal club. This lawsuit stems from Pérez's statements accusing Barcelona of "stealing 7 league titles." Both parties are scheduled to hold a reconciliation meeting in Madrid on November 25, in an attempt to overcome this crisis. Commenting on the nature of the relationship with Real Madrid, Laporta clarified that "what we cannot accept is the telling of untrue things, and every time they speak publicly, they attack Barcelona. Our legal department is dealing with these situations seriously." He added, "We do this with everyone who slandered us before our trial, saying things that were not true, and we continue with the same approach. My hope is that the matter will be corrected and settled." Regarding the deterioration of relations, Laporta stated, "With Real Madrid, as you know, relations have been completely severed. They interfered in the Negreira case, and we believe that was solely to prolong the case and justify what their television channel is doing and the inflammatory rhetoric they already possess." He emphasized, "Here lies the core of the disagreement, and the relationship between us currently is zero." Beyond administrative disputes, the Barcelona president also addressed the concern among European clubs regarding the impact of international breaks on player safety. Laporta noted that "despite our passionate competition on the field, we share a common goal of working together to develop competitions, improve the financial situation of our clubs, provide opportunities for young talent, and, of course, protect our players." He indicated that "there is current concern about these international breaks, which have become almost like a pre-season period. Regarding national team matches, it raises some concern due to the ease with which players suffer injuries, which is already happening." Laporta highlighted that "Barcelona, unfortunately, suffered what appears to be a minor injury to Eric Garcia, and I also learned that Raphinha had to leave Brazil's match after feeling some discomfort; we will see the extent of his injury." When asked about the importance of Raphinha's readiness for the upcoming match against Real Madrid, he replied, "The same thing happened with Real Madrid and Mbappé. I don't know exactly the severity of his injury, and we hope it is not serious." In another context, Laporta revealed a cordial and excellent meeting he had with Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, the CEO of Atlético Madrid. He stated, "When we met, we thought about the necessity of continuing the good relationship that exists between the two clubs, as well as the personal relationship between us." He added, "I have great appreciation for him, and he knows that, and I also feel his affection. When we met, we immediately embraced each other, and I believe we have overcome past differences and restored the relationship to its normal state as it should be. I am very happy about this, as he is someone I greatly appreciate."
