Laporta Again Attacks Real Madrid: "When They Have a Problem, They Just Rezone a Plot of Land"

Barcelona President Joan Laporta once again took a jab at arch-rivals Real Madrid. This occurred just five minutes into his speech during today's General Assembly of club members for 2026.

"A club with the grandeur of Barça always faces significant challenges," the champions' boss began. "We always strive to be better; there's no room for complacency. History demands it of us. We must continue this growth process. We need to be brave, creative, and innovative. We know we're competing against rivals who are investment funds, state-owned clubs... Our opponents, when they have a problem, simply rezone a plot of land, and it's solved."

This was an indirect criticism of Real Madrid regarding the recent decision by the Madrid City Council to approve the rezoning of 448,000 square meters of land at Real Madrid's Valdebebas sports complex, which will allow for new lucrative activities.

At the same time, Laporta expressed satisfaction with Hansi Flick's team's current form: "Barça fans are optimistic because the club is moving in the right direction. As president, I share this collective joy, but I also need to convey that it's time to renew our responsibilities and commitments. The decisions we make today are fundamental for financial and institutional stability, ensuring the project's longevity."

Forced to push for a €300 million increase in funding for "Espai Barça" to complete construction and secure revenue as quickly as possible, the president paused to explain the situation regarding "Spotify Camp Nou." "This will be an unprecedented source of income. Circumstances arose that delayed construction work, leading to increased costs. We had planned for 800 interventions in the stands, but we carried out many more. Military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, caused us additional material costs and delays. The three hundred million will serve to finally complete Camp Nou and accelerate revenue, which will reach 1.4 billion by 2030."

Despite the need for additional stadium funding, Barça's president insisted that the club's economic reality is stable: "We have entered a phase of consolidation after recovery and continued revenue growth. We have historical records in sponsorship. A positive operating result has been achieved for the third consecutive year, even though we had to play in three different stadiums (Johan Cruyff, Montjuïc, and Spotify Camp Nou). These circumstances brought us less revenue, but the return to Camp Nou has provided us with record receipts and an opportunity to reverse this situation. I want to emphasize how important it is to complete the stadium."

He also pointed out that "indebtedness threatens the fact that the club belongs to its members. The club will be able to repay the debt sustainably thanks to the revenue we will generate. Forbes magazine values Barça at 7.5 billion euros. We should be proud of our club's potential."

Finally, more composed than expected after his initial message to Madrid, Laporta spoke about ideology: "We are a Catalan club, open to the world and committed to sustainability and diversity. We are a club with a foundation that puts solidarity at the service of all. This Barça is dedicated to freedom, to Catalonia, and to our language. Barça is a committed institution that embraces the diversity of millions of fans with kaleidoscopic views. Barça is an institution that embraces freedom, and this is closely linked to our social strength and the power of our emblem." And as expected, he concluded with the words: "Long live Barça and long live Catalonia!"