Joan Laporta’s key advisor tears into Florentino Perez for missing the Clasico — “Laughable” | OneFootball

The stage is set for this weekend’s highly-anticipated clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid, a game in which the Catalans can all but secure the league title for the second consecutive season.

Ahead of the curtain raiser on Sunday, Enric Masip, a key advisor to the club’s president-elect Joan Laporta, spoke about Real Madrid, including Florentino Perez’s decision to skip the clash at Camp Nou.

He also talked about reports of infighting between Real Madrid players Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, among other things.

What Masip said ahead of El Clasico

Speaking to Catalunya Radio, Masip was asked about the reported altercation between Tchouameni and Valverde, with the interviewer cheekily suggesting a padel racket as the solution, given they were speaking at a padel event.

“I think that as long as there’s a state of instability, it’s dangerous to have a racket in hand,” he quipped.

Can Flick’s team continue its dominance over Real Madrid. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

On the Clasico result, he was bullish about Barcelona’s chances of not only securing a victory over Real Madrid but also dominate Los Blancos on home soil.

“I want the result to be 4-1. I’m certain of what I see, the players are extremely focused and have a huge desire, and there’s absolutely no complacency at all.

“We’re not going there to celebrate the league, but to play a match that could hand us the league. That’s the prevailing mindset,” he said.

On Florentino Perez’s decision not to attend the match at Camp Nou, Masip did not shy away from criticising the Real Madrid president.

“If he doesn’t want to come, then he shouldn’t. There’s no reason stopping him from coming other than his unwillingness to see us win, and as for what’s being said about the Negreira case as a reason for his absence, that’s laughable,” he concluded.