Laporta responds to Florentino Pérez after claims Barcelona stole titles from Real Madrid: ‘He was trying to shift attention away’

The difficult week Real Madrid endured included a press conference from Florentino Pérez in which he announced the club was calling presidential elections. After Barcelona issued a formal response, Joan Laporta later addressed the situation himself.

Laporta said: “I think it was grotesque, but it had a strategy behind it. The one I already mentioned… he was trying to shift attention away from two years without winning anything, and that has them very worried. Somehow they have to justify the unjustifiable, and the best way is to start throwing dirt around and direct everything they can toward Barcelona. We are not going to allow that. I’m sure the club will respond.”

The comments came during a conversation with several media outlets as Laporta responded to Pérez, who had previously claimed that he won 14 La Liga titles but was only awarded seven because the rest were stolen, while discussing the Negreira case.

Laporta mocks Real Madrid

The reelected president also made sure fans understood how motivated he is with the club: “We care about Barça. I feel comfortable at Barça. I’m dedicated to Barça. I feel strong enough to lead this institution now that we are back on the right path. We have stabilized the financial recovery. We are going to finish the stadium.”

This was probably what Barcelona supporters most wanted to hear as the club appears to be in a much better situation than it was a few years ago. Even after that, though, Laporta still had time for one more comment aimed at his counterpart from Real Madrid.

Laporta said: “We are going to have a very competitive team, and I like it this way. About the rest, what I see is that when they get Barcelonitis it’s because things are going well for us. We are here for and because of the fans.”

Laporta’s return as president

Barcelona held its presidential elections on March 15, and Laporta had to step down before officially proceeding with his candidacy. Because the club bylaws require it, Rafael Yuste has served as acting president since then. Laporta is set to officially return as president on June 1.