Joan Laporta is back at Barcelona, and he has made his return impossible for anyone in Madrid to ignore.
The newly elected president’s campaign included posters in the capital, including one right beside the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid were always a target for Laporta, and he was never one to shy away from pointed messages aimed at Los Blancos during his last spell at the Camp Nou.
The 6-2
In 2009, Barcelona won 6-2 at the Bernabeu on the day of the Community Festival of Madrid, and Laporta said “it was one of the best days of my life”.
Different models
Comparing the Clasico pair, Laporta said that Barcelona’s was “very typical of Catalans” and based on industry, productivity and entrepreneurship. Real Madrid, according to him, “is more financial”.
Florentino Perez’s imperialism
Speaking to El Pais, he didn’t hold back while discussing the Real Madrid president.
“His model is imperialist,” Laporta said. “There is an air of arrogance.”
The Ballon d’Ors
The eternal debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi didn’t escape Laporta.
“Barcelona make Ballon d’Ors,” Laporta said. “Real Madrid have to buy them.”
VAR, martians and Real Madrid
Speaking to MARCA, Laporta said that “if a martian came to Earth and saw VAR, they would instantly say that it comes from Real Madrid”.
The effects of the treble
“This treble makes Real Madrid spend compulsively,” Laporta said in 2009. Florentino Perez returned to Real Madrid and brought Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso, Kaka, Raul Albiol and Alvaro Arbeloa with him.
Robinho’s signing
Los Blancos spent big to sign the Brazilian in 2005, and Laporta didn’t miss the chance to have his say.
“Robinho wanted to come to Barcelona, but we already have [Lionel] Messi. This boy is like [Diego] Maradona the way he carries the ball, and [Johan] Cruyff for how he moves on the pitch.”
Poking fun at Cristiano Ronaldo
In February 2016, with Real Madrid losing 1-0 to Malaga, Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty. The game ended 1-1.
He wasn’t president at the time, but he didn’t miss the opportunity to take aim at Real Madrid, positing a meme that showed Cristiano and read “I know why I missed the penalty, but I’m not going to tell you”.
After the Kiev final
After Real Madrid beat Liverpool, Laporta said “the Champions League was won by Sergio Ramos and the Liverpool goalkeeper”, referring to the captain’s foul on Mohamed Salah and the costly errors made by Loris Karius.
