Catalunya Government asks Real Madrid to apologise over ‘irresponsible and offensive’ video

During his press conference on Monday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta out Real Madrid alleging that they receive favourable treatment from officials, even going as far as calling them the ‘club of the regime’.

In response, last night, Real Madrid posted an incendiary video in which they tried to depict Barça as the club that benefited from the regime of General Franco and not themselves.

The video, though, has attracted the ire of the Government of Catalunya, who have called it ‘irresponsible, insulting and offensive’ and have asked Real Madrid to take it down, reports Josep Soldado.

Furthermore, Patricia Plaja, spokesperson of the Government of Catalunya, went on to refer to the video as a manipulation of history, as she said (h/t Carrusel Deportivo):

“The Real Madrid video is a manipulation of history. This is an indecent lie. That it comes from a club with so much visibility is very worrying, irresponsible, and insulting to the thousands of people affected by the Franco regime.”

The Government of Catalunya has asked Real Madrid to take down the video and issue an apology over the same.

“It is also an insult to Barça and the memory of its president Josep Maria Suñol assassinated by the regime and maybe in Madrid, they do not remember this detail. I ask Real to withdraw this video and apologize,” Plaja added.

Relationship between Barcelona and Real Madrid had been cordial in recent years. However, things became strained after the latter decided to enter the Negreira proceedings as an accuser against the Catalans.

President Laporta ended up cancelling the traditional pre-match lunches with Real Madrid directors over the past month and did not pull his words during the presser yesterday when he said:

“Real Madrid wanting to take legal action against Barcelona with unprecedented claims is purely cynical. They have always been favored by the referees, to this day. We all know it. I hope this trial exposes that.”

“Real Madrid have always been considered the ‘regime team’, close to power. In the last seven decades, the executives in refereeing committees have always been club members or former board members at Real Madrid.”

Barcelona, for their part, have not issued any statement on the video posted by Real Madrid as of yet.