This weekend will usher in the first Spanish El Clasico of the season. According to an article published by "Daily Sports", Barcelona Chairman Laporta and Real Madrid Chairman Florentino have recently reached a low point in their relationship.
The showdown between Real Madrid and Barcelona has always been more than just on the football field. Some specific games are more eye-catching because of their special background overlay. This weekend's game is undoubtedly one of them, because the presidents of the two clubs, Florentino and Laporta, will meet again in the VIP box at the Bernabeu amid recent tensions.
There have been differences of position between the two clubs on many issues recently, and these issues have triggered heated discussions even before the game started. The latest example is the cancellation of the La Liga overseas match plan between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, USA. In addition, there is the controversy over the Negreira case and Barcelona's withdrawal from the European Super League and return to the embrace of UEFA.
Since Laporta entered Barcelona for the second time in 2021, despite the competition with Real Madrid represented by Florentino, Florentino has played his key role in some issues that need to be solved together, such as Messi's departure and club financing issues. Thus, over a period of time, the two sides have been strengthened by their mutual interests and had previously been on the same page as the main proponents of the European Super League.
Now Barcelona and Real Madrid have gone in opposite directions. The abandonment of the idealistic European Super League plan is the best example of the change in situation, which has further widened the distance between the leadership of the two clubs. From Real Madrid's perspective, the move to distance themselves from Barcelona is equally important. Perez had instructed his club to appear as a private plaintiff in the Negreira case, much to Barcelona's dissatisfaction. Despite this, Laporta remained calm and waited for an opportunity to hit back at Real Madrid.
In order to meet La Liga's requirements for financial fairness, Laporta did not hesitate to accept the proposal of overseas games. Of course, the economic benefits cannot be ignored. This decision undoubtedly gave Florentino a chance for revenge, and from then on he worked towards canceling the match. But in fact, Barcelona did not even include the income from this game in the budget for the 25-26 season, so the cancellation of overseas games did not have much impact.
However, this silent war has caused tensions between the two clubs to quietly flow, especially the relationship between Florentino and Laporta that has deteriorated sharply. The two will meet again at the Bernabeu this weekend. The two men who once had a harmonious relationship are now at odds again due to the interests of their respective clubs, which makes the interaction between them very interesting. The traditional high-level lunch meeting was not held because it was too early, so the two presidents and management members will meet in the Bernabeu box. This will be the first time that Florentino and Laporta face each other after Barcelona withdrew from the European Super League.