FC Barcelona and Real Madrid faced off in the semi-final first leg of the Copa del Rey in a highly decisive and exciting match. While the action on the pitch was undoubtedly tense, other significant things were also happening off the pitch that night as Laporta and Pérez met on the sidelines.
FC Barcelona are on course for a memorable season domestically, as they are the favorites for winning the league, and also have the Copa del Rey as one of their targets for this season.
The first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final came at a difficult time for Barcelona, as they were missing several players due to injury and were in poor form overall. Still, they were able to take home the result as they won the tie 1-0 due to a Éder Militão own goal.
The historical rivalry between the two clubs was on display in this match, showcased by the high intensity both teams displayed. However, these two clubs have come closer in recent years due to some shared interests. The European Super League is one such interest that both the clubs share, and this was the topic of discussion in the board lunch that took place before the kick-off in Madrid.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Joan Laporta and Florentino Perez took advantage of this event to discuss the legal matters related to the proposed European Super League. A small group of directors accompanied both the Presidents and the FC Barcelona lawyer briefed the group about the legal matters underway, especially the one in the Superior Court of the European Union (TSUE) and the strategy that the clubs should adopt in the coming months.
This report claims that the lawyer was of the view that a decision by the court on the lawsuit filed against UEFA would come at the end of this month or by the start of the next month. FC Barcelona are convinced that European courts will allow them to move forward with the European Super League project, and UEFA will ultimately give way and become part of this proposed project.