Barcelona president Joan Laporta has openly acknowledged that relations between FC Barcelona and long-time rivals Real Madrid have deteriorated sharply, describing them as “bad” and “cut off.”
Speaking candidly, Laporta said a number of unresolved issues have widened the rift between the two Spanish giants, taking their historic rivalry to a new level of tension.
“The relations between Barça and Real Madrid are bad. They are bad and cut off,” Laporta stated.
He explained that while the clubs have always been fierce and eternal rivals, recent developments have pushed the relationship beyond sporting competition into a more strained and distant phase.
“There are different issues that have distanced us from each other. And if we were already fierce and eternal rivals, a situation is now developing that makes the relations not good,” he added.
Despite the breakdown in communication, Laporta stressed that mutual respect must still be upheld between the two institutions.
“The relations are not good and they are cut off, and that does not mean there is no respect. We must always maintain respect, whatever the state of the relations.”
He concluded by assuring that Barcelona will continue to act in a professional and civilised manner, even in the absence of formal relations.
“We will act on that basis, with respect and in a civilized way. But on this level, the relations are completely cut off.”
Laporta’s remarks underscore the growing institutional tension between Spain’s two most successful clubs, adding another layer to one of football’s most intense rivalries.
