Laporta: Real Madrid is losing credibility; Yamal deserves the Ballon d'Or

This Saturday, Barcelona President Joan Laporta attended a tribute in Sitges, where a commemorative tile bearing his name was unveiled at 14 Passatge Johan Cruyff.

Laporta traveled to Sitges in the morning for the event organized by the local veterans' association. After the tile was unveiled, he spoke to the assembled media. When asked about Real Madrid, the Barcelona president launched a pointed attack on the capital club.

"Madrid is always talking about other things, trying to deflect attention. Barcelona is currently in a wonderful period; we are enjoying football, a very beautiful moment in the club's history, and we have international recognition. We have nine world champions in our squad, we have a fascinating team, with benchmark players in world football across different positions. Madrid always tries to downplay all of this."

The Barcelona president was firm in addressing the attacks from the capital regarding the Negreira case: "Regarding the Negreira case, I will always say that they want to convict us before judging us, and the facts have already proven that what they accuse us of simply does not exist. I am confident that Barcelona will ultimately be acquitted. Those who keep talking about this, wanting to harm Barcelona and tarnish its image, will eventually have to change their tune. It is still premature to discuss this before the verdict is delivered. They try to drag the case out as long as possible, wanting to keep this fire burning, but it is meaningless; it is just an attempt to tarnish Barcelona's image."

Furthermore, Joan Laporta directly criticized Real Madrid, stating that the club is going through a serious loss of reputation: "They do this to harm football because they oppose everything. You go to UEFA, they oppose it; you go to EuroLeague, they also oppose it. This shows a club that is losing prestige, recognition, and credibility. The facts are clear; I attended the European Club Association meeting, and they did not even have representatives. Their attitude is very arrogant, very conceited, very haughty. They know what they are doing, but this is causing them to lose significant credibility. It is the same situation with the EuroLeague; they will eventually fall out with everyone, but in this process, they will only create obstacles for what others want to do. They should be self-critical about this because I think it is very inappropriate."

Yamal and the Ballon d'Or

Laporta supports Yamal's bid for the Ballon d'Or. The Barcelona president explained the young star's case based on his excellent season: "I think he had a great season; moreover, he won very important titles, such as the league and the Copa América, so I think he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or."

The president also sought to downplay the controversy surrounding the player's comments about being a favorite: "He thinks that himself, and I think it is good that he expresses it; he is a very honest, very direct, and very young person, and that should always be taken into account."

In this regard, he praised the German coach's work, saying, "I really like the way Flick manages players." The club remains watchful ahead of the awards announcement, as this "hot October" will bring a series of high-intensity matches.

Deco's work

Regarding squad planning, Laporta praised the management's efforts in building the team and said that "Deco has done very well, and he and Flick have put together a very competitive squad." He added that the team has ample depth, with "perhaps two or three players for each position, and you also have Barcelona B, where there are also players who can contribute at certain times."

He also expressed full respect for the upcoming opponent, Getafe, noting that "they are a very tough team, with solid defense, very competitive, and their coach knows how to read the game very well and has done an excellent job."

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