Barcelona president says the club have a “freedom” model while Real Madrid operate under “a sense of power”
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has lauded “good rivalry” with Real Madrid but drawn a sharp line between the two clubs.
In an interview with the club’s official podcast, the Barcelona chief claimed that his side and Madrid operate under very different footballing philosophies. Laporta said that Barcelona’s focus on developing young talent, particularly through their famous La Masia academy, sets them apart from Madrid’s approach, which he described as rooted in power and big-name signings.
“We’re different clubs,” said Laporta. “Madrid have a sense of power, while we have a sense of freedom. Everyone looks out for their own interests.
“It’s a good rivalry which both clubs feed off, from a position of respect, but we have different models.
“Our model is based on developing youngsters through La Masia and creating talent; Madrid are more inclined to signing players. They don’t have many players in their squad who have come through the academy.
“We’re really proud of who we are. We are more than a club.”
While Laporta emphasised Barcelona’s identity as a club that “creates talent”, it’s worth noting that the Catalan giants have not shied away from spending big in recent years.
In fact, the club has broken the €100 million mark on three separate signings in the last decade – Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, and Antoine Griezmann – while also investing heavily in players like Neymar, Luis Suarez, and Frenkie de Jong.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso, speaking ahead of his team’s Club World Cup clash with RB Salzburg, avoided stirring up the rivalry further.
“I imagine the context in which he said what he said and I don’t want to get involved,” said Alonso. “But we do have a feeling of freedom and democracy, and I imagine they also have some power. It goes both ways.”
