Real Madrid take aim at Barcelona following Joan Laporta’s ‘club of the regime’ comments

Real Madrid have hit back at Barcelona after Joan Laporta alleged they were the ‘club of the regime’. 

The Catalans’ president made these comments during a press conference on Monday when he was defending his club against allegations of corruption in the Negreira Case. 

The Blaugrana are facing a UEFA investigation over charges of making payments to the then-vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. 

Laporta also attacked Madrid, saying they had been favoured by arbitration decisions because of their links with Francisco Franco, the former Spanish dictator who ruled from 1933 until 1975. 

The 60-year-old’s comments prompted Los Blancos to post a video on Monday detailing the Catalans’ connections with Franco. 

The video, through archive footage and text, explains that Barcelona presented Franco with three medals and also made him an honourary club member in 1965.

It also points out the Blaugrana’s success compared to Real during the initial period of the dictator’s rule, with Barca winning eight La Liga titles while Madrid enduring a 15-year period in which they failed to win a league title. 

Los Blancos also assert that Camp Nou was opened by Franco’s general minister, Jose Solis Ruiz, and the Spanish ruler helped save the club from bankruptcy on three occasions. 

The Catalans are in a difficult financial situation this season, but they are on course to lift their first La Liga trophy since the 2018-19 campaign. 

Despite dropping points at Getafe last weekend, Xavi’s side still have an 11-point lead at the top of the table.