Former Barcelona chief calls for ‘end to all relations’ with Real Madrid | OneFootball

A former member of the boardroom setup at La Liga giants Barcelona has called for the club to completely cut ties with their counterparts at arch rivals Real Madrid.

This comes amid ongoing frustrations on the part of Barca with Real’s involvement with the ‘Negreira case’.

After the Blaugrana were last year found guilty of paying out millions of euros to the vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee, José María Enriquez Negreira, their Clásico rivals were not shy in positioning themselves in the thick of the saga.

In fact, in a letter forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office, Real Madrid went as far as to label the actions of those behind the scenes at the Camp Nou as ‘corruption.

Tensions between Spanish football’s two biggest clubs have since failed to subside, with Joan Laporta just this week having admitted that:

“Relations with Real Madrid are bad because they have appeared in the ‘Negreira case’.”

Safe to say, then, that those of a Barcelona persuasion will no doubt be interested to hear, on Thursday, of another altogether recognisable figure in Catalunya’s capital taking things a step further.

Speaking in an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, Toni Freixa – former Blaugrana vice-president and presidential candidate – called for his ex-employers to completely cut ties with Real Madrid:

“Florentino Perez hasn’t given a press conference for about 12 years. When he does, we will be able to know how much truth he tells. I don’t understand why Barça doesn’t end all relations with Real Madrid. What Madrid did in Negreira case is hypocrisy because they know that Barça has not received any refereeing favours at all. The only Spanish club involved in all this is Madrid because when Barça wins, the next day you know that there will be a Madrid media outlet that will talk about Negreira, and Real Madrid has to take part in that circus.”

Conor Laird | GSFN