Barcelona president Joan Laporta mocked Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, calling him a “brilliant diver.”
Laporta’s controversial remarks came after the French star’s actions during Real Madrid’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
The score was tied 1-1 when Mbappe went down in the final minutes, appealing for a penalty, but the referee and VAR ruled it out.
Ultimately, Brahim Diaz won a controversial penalty, which Mbappe converted in the 99th minute, securing three valuable points for Real Madrid.
A video circulated online showing Laporta being asked, “Was that a penalty for Mbappe? Was it a penalty or not?”
Laporta simply smiled at the reporters and replied with a single, controversial word: “It was a dive.”
This isn’t the first time Laporta has made sarcastic remarks about Mbappé and Real Madrid recently, and it appears to be another attempt by the Barça president to pressure referees into focusing on the French star.
Barcelona currently leads La Liga by one point over Real Madrid, who will have to go through the Champions League round of 16 play-offs, unlike the Blaugrana who have already secured a place in the knockout stage.
