Laporta fires back at Florentino in new book, calls Real Madrid's 70-year grip on referees 'football's biggest scandal'

Joan Laporta has never been one to stay quiet, and his new book — out in Spanish bookshops from 24 February — makes absolutely sure of that. If you were expecting a quiet memoir about balancing the books at Camp Nou, think again.

What’s the book actually about?

Así salvamos al Barça (roughly: How We Saved Barça) covers Laporta’s entire second spell as president — the financial chaos he inherited, the lever-pulling to keep the club afloat, the exits of Messi, Koeman and Xavi, and the whole Super League saga. It’s a lot to squeeze in, but one chapter in particular is already making waves before most people have even had a chance to buy it.

The Negreira case — Laporta’s version

The Caso Negreira — Barcelona’s payments to a company linked to the former vice-president of Spain’s referee committee — has been a thorn in the club’s side for years now. Laporta uses the book to go on the front foot.

His argument, in a nutshell:

• There is no evidence the payments influenced referee selections or altered match results
• He openly challenges anyone accusing Barça of corruption to name a specific match, goal, or incident that was supposedly fixed
• He insists Barça have cooperated with investigators and will continue to do so
• He frames the whole affair as an orchestrated campaign against the club’s image and prestige

It’s a bold stance, and one Barça have essentially maintained throughout — but putting it in print like this is a proper statement of intent.

Laporta turns the tables on Florentino

This is where it gets properly spicy. A few days back, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had described the Negreira case as the biggest scandal in world football, calling for the courts to punish Barcelona accordingly. Laporta clearly wasn’t having any of it.

In the book, he fires back by pointing out that for roughly seven decades — almost without interruption — the presidents of Spain’s various referee committees were Real Madrid fans, former players, or former club officials. Sometimes all three at once. His point being: if you want to talk about structural influence over referees, maybe start a bit closer to home, Flo.

It’s a counter-punch that Barça fans will absolutely love, and one that’s going to wind up a fair few people in the Spanish capital. Whether it holds up legally is a different matter entirely — but as a PR move? Decent bit of business.

The bigger picture

What’s interesting here is the timing. The Negreira case is still working its way through the Spanish legal system, and Laporta publishing a book that takes such a clear position — before any final verdict — is a calculated risk. He’s clearly decided that getting his version of events out there is worth it, particularly with the club’s reputation on the line.

Whether you believe him or not probably depends on which half of Spain you’re from. But you can’t say the man doesn’t have bottle.