Real Madrid president to skip El Clasico because of Barcelona's Negreira case
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will not be in attendance when Barcelona host Los Blancos in the second El Clasico of the La Liga season on Sunday (March 19).
Perez's decision was in response to Barca president Joan Laporta deciding to cancel the pre-match meal, which has been a long-standing tradition between the two clubs.
Barcelona were accused of making a series of payments to former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. The revelation sent shockwaves through La Liga, with Real Madrid deciding to hire a private prosecutor for the case - a decision that took the Blaugrana by surprise.
Los Blancos' decision led to Laporta canceling the customary pre-match rendezvous between the two presidents, which upset Perez.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo have reported that the Barcelona hierarchy were surprised with the developments. Laporta and Perez have been allies on issues such as the Super League and their stance against La Liga president Javier Tebas, so the Blaugrana believed things were cordial.
Barca did not expect the Real Madrid president to make such a move, but it goes to show that the relationship between the two clubs is unstable. Perez has decided not to travel to the Camp Nou on Sunday, saying that he believes the team and the officials will receive a highly hostile reception, so it's not worth the risk. Perez believes his presence could add fuel to the fire.
Barcelona to host Real Madrid for season's fourth El Clasico
Two of Spanish football's juggernauts will lock horns as they clash in a La Liga game at the Camp Nou in Barcelona on Sunday. They have previously faced off thrice this season across as many different competitions.
Real Madrid won their first meeting 3-1 in the league in October last year. Barca levelled things up for the season with a 3-1 win to lift the Supercopa de Espana in January. They then secured a 1-0 win in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals two weeks ago. Madrid will be eager to level their head-to-head record for the season in this crunch game.
Los Blancos are nine points behind Barca in La Liga with 13 games to go. A win will see them reduce the gap to six points, something Carlo Ancelotti and Co. will be eager to do.
Xavi Hernandez and his men, though, will look to protect the lead they have worked to build all season, making for a fascinating contest.