The history between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid has always been that of an intense rivalry. Both clubs, both on and off the field, have almost always been at odds due to the very nature of their philosophies. Ultimately, this rivalry between Barcelona and their Madrid-based rivals remains one of football’s best.
However, beyond just the politics and their different philosophies, both teams have had countless issues on the field as well. Rather unsurprisingly, this season has proven to be no different thus far even beyond just the involvement and consequences of the Negreira case.
Recently, following Real Madrid’s rather controversial 2-0 win over Real Sociedad, many people have disputed whether or not the team deserved to win through the two penalties they were awarded. Over the course of the last five games in La Liga so far, Los Blancos have already been awarded four penalties and this statistic has not gone unnoticed.
For reference and comparison, Barça has only been awarded one penalty in their first four games so far. As a result, in a recent directors lunch between the representatives of La Blaugrana and Girona, Barça president Joan Laporta made sure to make a gesture and humorous hint towards the recent controversial penalties, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo.
The president, upon arriving at the occasion, made a fun gesture as if taking a penalty. Looking at the opportunity, journalists made sure to ask him if he was referring to the incident involving Vinicius Jr that led to Real Madrid’s second penalty, one where the player was apparently fouled after he had already passed the ball:
“That’s why I say, take a penalty. Two penalties, there were two penalties.”
It would be understandable if this gesture does not sit right with the fans and players of Real Madrid, but such is the nature of Joan Laporta. A vocal individual, the Barcelona president is someone who has almost never shied away from making big statements or comments in front of the media.
Even after the recent backlash that the club received following the recent transfer window, Laporta came forward to identify some key topics that he thought were worth pointing out and clarifying, including the reason behind Ilkay Gundogan’s departure.
