The president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, attacked Real Madrid for their recent win over Rayo Vallecano, questioning the referee’s decisions in favor of Los Blancos. He also confirmed that he will call an election in Barcelona next week.
Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Rayo in the extremis, with Kylian Mbappe’s 100th minute penalty the difference. Rayo fans complained about the long time added on by the referee (nine minutes), while Pathe Ciss and Pep Chavarria were also sent off. The Senegalese midfielder admitted that his challenge should have earned him a red card.
Laporta attacks Real Madrid TV on a double scale
Real Madrid were denied a number of penalty appeals during the game, with Rayo players complaining that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz went down too easily. Laporta told Diario AS ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash with Albacete that Los Blancos have benefited from a manager.
“I watched the match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. I don’t know where those nine or ten minutes of extra time came from. I saw games where some players used to dive in the penalty area, pretending to be beaten, and that should be a card. I felt that Rayo Vallecano was treated unfairly.”
Before matches, and especially after Real Madrid feel that they have been abused by the management, Real Madrid TV often criticizes the referees harshly, complaining about corrupt decisions. Laporta focused his frustration on the club’s environment.
“We are talking about a club that has a television channel dedicated to making trivial claims and says that the referees are always on their side forever. Now they don’t say anything? What are they saying now? Now it doesn’t affect their team? Have they analyzed all this? They have to put it together.”
“We understand that these things can happen, but they don’t always go the same way, and we hope that they will be fixed because these are very obvious situations.
🚨 FC Barcelona are now just €10m away from reaching the 1:1 La Liga standard. [@DBR8] pic.twitter.com/e0xBhdYS3M
– barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 2, 2026
Laporta confirms the election calendar
Elections in Barcelona will take place in mid-March, and Laporta will stand again. He confirmed that he will be disbanding the board to call an election next Monday – a temprary election board will be replaced.
“The call for the election will be published on February 9 and, as stated in the Law, some members of the Board will have to resign in order to run for election, and we will do that at the meeting of the Board that we will hold on Monday.”
Laporta was hoping to get a fourth term, as the opposition will oust him from office.
“[I’m] I am very happy and full of energy. [It will be] a model process, with high participation, where the candidates present their proposals, each in their own way, but in a common way that should exist among us.”
