Barcelona president Joan Laporta criticises officials for favouring Real Madrid

Speaking on Monday during a luncheon attended by the board of directors from both Albacete and Barcelona, Laporta made further pointed remarks aimed at Madrid's 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

His comments centred on what he described as questionable behaviour around diving, penalty decisions, and time-keeping during the match.

"Yesterday I made the joke about the 'diving,' sorry, but I watched the Real Madrid vs. Rayo game and I don't know where those ten minutes of added time came from," said Laporta.

"There are many plays where the players are getting used to diving. This should be a card.

"The other day I watched a Premier League match, and they were showing cards for stamping and diving.

"I saw that Rayo Vallecano came away from that match very unfairly disadvantaged. I say this as a fan.

"There are penalties I wouldn't call because I don't think they were penalties. He didn't kick the striker, who went to ground; it was an exaggeration.

"I say this constructively. Sometimes it works in our favour."

Laporta suggested that such incidents are symptomatic of a wider problem within Spanish football, claiming there is a growing culture of referee manipulation in La Liga. He argued that these issues go beyond isolated decisions and instead reflect a pattern that is increasingly difficult to ignore.

Returning repeatedly to the theme, the Barcelona president was keen to stress that his stance should not be dismissed as a product of the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.

According to Laporta, his concerns are shared by neutral observers who simply want fairness and transparency in the competition.

Laporta maintained that his comments were driven by a desire to protect the integrity of the game rather than to score points in an ongoing feud with Real Madrid. 

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