Joan Laporta has been continually taking digs at Real Madrid, and on Monday at the luncheon between the Albacete and Barcelona board of directors, the FC Barcelona president delivered another set of pointed
remarks — this time centered on “diving”, penalties, and what he believes is a growing culture of referee manipulation in La Liga.
“I Don’t Know Where Those Ten Minutes Came From”
Laporta opened with a semi-apology for previous comments, but quickly pivoted back into critique, framing his view as something shared by any neutral observer.
“Yesterday I made the joke about the ‘diving,’ sorry, but I watched the Real Madrid vs. Rayo game and I don’t know where those ten minutes of added time came from.
“There are many plays where the players are getting used to diving. This should be a card.
“The other day I watched a Premier League match, and they were showing cards for stamping and diving.”
Laporta then positioned himself as a football fan watching a match — not merely a Barcelona president pushing an agenda.
“I saw that Rayo Vallecano came away from that match very unfairly disadvantaged. I say this as a fan.
“There are penalties I wouldn’t call because I don’t think they were penalties. He didn’t kick the striker, who went to ground; it was an exaggeration.
“I say this constructively. Sometimes it works in our favor.”
Then came the most politically loaded part of the luncheon: Laporta’s claim that one club is being favored because it sustains pressure through media messaging.
“They’re favoring a club that has a television channel dedicated to explaining things that are out of line and saying that the referees are constantly harming them. This is the reaction.
“Haven’t they analyzed any of this? They should look into it.”
