From Real Madrid alliance to UEFA fold, Barça’s shifting role in European football | OneFootball

Joan Laporta has shifted Barça from Florentino Pérez’s camp to UEFA’s orbit, ending a tactical alliance with Real Madrid. According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, a negotiated outcome to UEFA’s probe, no sporting ban and a reduced fine, helped trigger the turn.

The pact, unpopular among both fanbases, rested on mutual utility. Barça leant on Pérez’s financial contacts to restructure debt and advance Espai Barça, and in November 2024 he told members the clubs should help one another.

With Mateu Alemany smoothing relations with LaLiga, Laporta twice weighed joining the CVC deal early in his term, even saying in late 2021 it was days away, but it never happened. Figures in LaLiga blamed Pérez’s influence for Barça holding out.

UEFA were examining alleged economic breaches, and whispers suggested a temporary Champions League exclusion was possible. Laporta then negotiated with Aleksander Ceferin, leaving only a financial sanction, cut to 15 million euros from 60.

From that pact, Barça moved away from Madrid and the Super League and closer to UEFA and the EFC. His Montjuïc box with Ceferin and Nasser Al Khelaifi for Barça-PSG on 1 October signposted the shift, and this month Barça formally quit the Super League and rejoined the EFC.

Madrid felt betrayed and toughened its stance on the Negreira case, now calling it the gravest scandal in football history. Laporta later said relations with Real Madrid are broken, and in a pre-electoral climate he has leaned into antimadridismo, alleging a historic, structural refereeing favour towards Madrid.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo