Laporta Takes a Shot at Real Madrid TV: Fair Play, Penalties, and a Snappy Comeback

Laporta challenges Madrid’s TV channel amid penalties debate

Joan Laporta, Barcelona's president, argues that Rayo Vallecano were unfairly treated in the La Liga match against Real Madrid, a 2-1 defeat that marked the game.

In remarks cited by Mundo Deportivo, he noted that the game saw two players sent off, extended into extra time after the teams were level for ten minutes, and a late penalty that is often debated.

He added: there are penalties I don't consider correct—the ball was touched incorrectly, the defender lost balance, his leg was raised, and Ibrahim Diaz wasn't pulled down with enough force. He viewed the decision as exaggerated.

Laporta conceded that the referee, based on his judgment, had the right to make the call he saw fit, but insisted from a fan's perspective that those spot-kicks were excessive and should not have been awarded.

He continued: I say this constructively. Sometimes the results go in our favor too, and I acknowledge that in any case.

He then criticized Real Madrid's television channel without naming it explicitly.

He stated: apparently they curry favor for a club whose channel seeks to justify the unacceptable and claims referees are always against them.

In this vein, he ended with a playful jab about the famous channel: what is it saying now? the channel that claims all referees are against its team? they did not analyze any of this. perhaps they should check again.

For the Copa del Rey, a clash between Alavés and Barcelona was scheduled for February 3, 2026 at 21:00, a fixture fans hope will be decided with fair officiating and clear commentary.

Two light-hearted punchlines to close: 1) If football had a refund policy, referees would be rich by now and fans would still be arguing about the refunds. 2) If penalties came with a user manual, maybe we’d stop arguing about the rules and start reading the manual instead.