Real Madrid President Florentino Perez is expected to be back in the Director’s Box in Barcelona, although at Montjuic this time, after snubbing El Clasico last time out.
For the first time in Perez’s reign as President of Real Madrid, he was not in the stands to watch his side take on Barcelona at Camp Nou last season, as relations between the two clubs became strained. Following news of Barcelona’s ongoing bribery case for payments made to former Vice-President of the Referees Committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, President Joan Laporta accused Real Madrid of being ‘Franco’s team’ – as in the team favoured by former dictator Francisco Franco.
After that, Real Madrid released a four-minute video claiming that Barcelona were in fact favoured by the dictator, whose troops once murdered the President of Barcelona, Josep Sunyol.
Relations broke down between the two, and as they faced off at Camp Nou for the final time last season in April, Perez decided not to attend the traditional director’s lunch nor the game, in an unprecedented event. Real Madrid ended up winning their semi-final second leg of the Copa del Rey 4-0.
Cadena Cope say that Perez is planning on being at the Clasico on Saturday however. Barcelona President Joan Laporta was seen embracing Real Madrid General Director Jose Angel Sanchez on Monday during the La Liga assembly, and it looks as if tensions have eased in recent months, despite Laporta accusing the authorities of a sociological Madridismo, claiming that support for Los Blancos coloured their decisions.
‘Franco’s team’ – as in the team favoured by former dictator Francisco Franco.
If Franco saved bribELona three times from bankruptcy and built them camp Franco, what kind of favoritism are we talking about then?
Didnt bribELona decorate Franco three times by gold medal as thanks?
Ahahaha