Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez will miss the upcoming El Clásico against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, as the administrative boycott between the two clubs continues even on one of the season’s most prominent occasions.
Spanish reports agree that the Merengue president will not travel to Barcelona, amid deteriorating relations with Joan Laporta and a lack of signs indicating the restoration of normal communication between the two managements.
Consequently, the traditional pre-match board lunch has been cancelled, alongside the absence of the customary photo of the two presidents sitting together in the box—protocols that used to provide the encounter with a framework of institutional communication despite intense competition.
The crisis is particularly linked to disagreements over the Negreira case, after Real Madrid became a party to proceedings related to Barcelona’s payments to companies associated with the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, a case that remains under judicial review.
Reciprocal statements regarding refereeing and the management of Spanish football have further widened the distance between the two parties, with Laporta recently attacking Real Madrid’s stances toward La Liga, the Referees Committee, and the Spanish Federation.
Pérez thus continues his absence from El Clásico visits to Barcelona’s stadium for the past two seasons, as the boycott enters a third year, while a Real Madrid vice-president is expected to represent the club in the box.
The match will take place on Sunday, October 25, as part of the tenth round of the league. Barcelona enters the match leading with a maximum score, having collected 27 points from nine victories, scoring 39 goals and conceding nine.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid occupies third place with 21 points, behind Atlético Madrid with 22 points, making El Clásico an opportunity to narrow the gap to three points, while a Barcelona victory would grant the hosts a nine-point advantage over their rivals.
