Barcelona President confirms election calendar, attacks Real Madrid – ‘Now their TV channel says nothing?’ | OneFootball

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has attacked Real Madrid over their recent win against Rayo Vallecano questioning the refereeing decisions that went in favour of Los Blancos. He also confirmed he would be calling elections at Barcelona next week.

Real Madrid secured a 2-1 win over Rayo in extremis, with a 100th minute penalty from Kylian Mbappe the difference. Rayo fans complained of the long amount of added time sanctioned by the referee (nine minutes), while Pathe Ciss and Pep Chavarria were sent off too. The Senegalese midfielder has since admitted his challenge was worthy of a red card.

Laporta attacks Real Madrid TV over double standard

Real Madrid had a number of penalty appeals turned down during the course of the match, with Rayo players complaining about how easily Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz were going to ground. Laporta told Diario AS ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash with Albacete that Los Blancos were benefitted by the officiating.

“I watched the Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano match. I don’t know where those nine or ten minutes of added time came from. I saw some plays where some players are getting used to diving in the penalty area, pretending to be fouled, and that should be a card. I felt that Rayo Vallecano were treated unfairly.”

Image via Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Ahead of games, and particularly after Real Madrid feel they have suffered at the hands of officiating, Real Madrid TV tend to criticise referees harshly, complaining of corrupt decision-making. Laporta centred his frustration on the club outlet.

“We’re talking about a club that has a TV channel dedicated to making irrelevant claims and saying that the referees are constantly and permanently biased against them. Now they’re saying nothing? What are they saying now? Now it’s not affecting their team? Have they even analysed all of this? They need to get their act together.”

“We understand that these things can happen, but not that they always go one way, and we hope they will be corrected because these are very obvious situations. I say this constructively, since sometimes they also make mistakes in our favour.”

Laporta confirms election calendar

Elections at Barcelona will take place on in mid-March, with Laporta to stand again. He confirmed that he would be dissolving the board in order to call elections next Monday – a temoprary election board will be placed in charge.

“The call for elections will be published on February 9th and, as stated in the Statutes, some of the Board members will have to resign in order to stand for election, and we will do so at a Board meeting that we will also hold on Monday.”

Laporta was optimistic of securing a fourth mandate, as challengers line up to depose him.

“[I’m] Very excited and full of energy. [It will be] a model process, with high participation, where candidates present their proposals, each in their own way, but within the normality that should exist among us.”