Joan Laporta charges against Real Madrid once again, says Barça deserved a penalty

Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, took the opportunity during the club’s 124th-anniversary celebration to express his dissatisfaction with the recent discourse in football, particularly targeting Real Madrid and the controversial use of VAR.

In a pointed statement, Laporta criticized the prevailing focus on what he deemed as “nonsense” rather than addressing crucial refereeing decisions. He highlighted the overlooked penalty incident involving Barcelona’s Raphinha in the recent 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano. Laporta stated, “I was surprised that this week we only talk about nonsense and not about the penalty to Raphinha in Vallecas.”

The Barcelona president went on to draw a parallel between the perceived lack of attention on Barcelona’s grievances and the hypothetical scenario of a similar incident occurring to Real Madrid. Laporta asserted, “If the penalty against Raphinha (that was not whistled for) is done to Madrid, we will talk for a whole week. It was done to us twice.”

The crux of Laporta’s argument lies in the perceived inconsistency in media coverage and public discourse when it comes to refereeing decisions, particularly those involving Barcelona. The president suggested that if similar decisions had favored Real Madrid, the narrative would have been vastly different.

The specific incident in question occurred during Barcelona’s fixture against Rayo Vallecano, where Laporta believes his team should have been awarded a penalty. The drawn match intensified the frustration for Barcelona, who felt that crucial refereeing decisions went against them.

While Joan Laporta’s comments reflect the perennial rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, they also shed light on broader concerns regarding the scrutiny and interpretation of VAR decisions in football. The debate surrounding the implementation of VAR continues to be a central point of contention within the football community, with each high-profile incident fueling the discourse.