Enric Masip slams Real Madrid: "It's a disgrace and they are mistreating the whole competition"

Barcelona presidential advisor Enric Masip raised the stakes in his war of words with Real Madrid this Thursday, claiming the Spanish capital club is mistreating the entire competition with its constant references to the Negreira case. Speaking at the Nacex challenge held at Barcelona Golf Club, the Barça executive said the Catalan club feels offended and angry over what he described as a strategy aimed solely at discrediting their biggest rival.

• Masip brands as a disgrace the use of tactics to divert attention from Real Madrid's own problems.
• He points out that nothing has ever been proven in the Negreira case after three and a half years.
• He believes the accusations damage LaLiga, the Federation, referees and every other club.
• He defends Barcelona's values against José Mourinho's barbs and praises Hansi Flick's attitude.
• He trusts the referees' professionalism ahead of Sunday's Clasico despite media pressure.

Masip denounces a campaign to hide Real Madrid's own problems

The Barcelona executive painted a picture of a coordinated effort. He argued that the combination of a coach, certain media outlets, television channels and the club itself is no coincidence, and that all those pieces move in the same direction to cover up their own shortcomings by pointing at their biggest rival. The goal, he insisted, is to damage Barcelona's image.

When someone uses these tactics, which are no coincidence because it's the union of coach, certain press, TV, club... they move forward to cover up their own problems by referring to their biggest rival.

Masip went a step further and brought up an uncomfortable reminder: Barcelona, he claimed, does not resort to past eras in which another team was supposedly favoured. In his view, red lines have been crossed, and the Catalan club takes it as a direct insult.

The damage to LaLiga, the Federation and refereeing

The Barcelona advisor broadened the focus beyond the eternal rivalry. He claimed Real Madrid uses talk shows as if they were juries and reports as if they were verdicts, and that the club brings up the Negreira case in headlines and interviews out of nowhere to dodge its own issues.

In his opinion, that attitude hurts every stakeholder in Spanish football: LaLiga, the Federation, referees and all clubs. Real Madrid, he added, goes to UEFA and disrespects the rest of the league, even if it thinks the damage is limited to one club. The image of the whole competition is tarnished by a strategy Masip did not hesitate to call a disgrace.

They are damaging LaLiga, the Federation. They are attacking and mistreating the whole competition, all the clubs, the referees... For me it's a disgrace that these tactics are used to divert attention from what you do.

Mourinho versus Flick: two very different ways of sitting on the bench

Masip did not hold back when recalling José Mourinho's time at Real Madrid. For the Barcelona executive, when things do not go your way the right response is to improve, not to attack everyone else. By contrast, he pointed to current Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, praising the respect the German shows towards opponents, players and coaches even in difficult situations.

That behaviour, he argued, represents the club's values. Although they could say plenty about refereeing decisions that have gone against them, they choose not to. The Mourinho reference allowed him to underline the gap between throwing darts from the press room and maintaining a respectful tone.

Sunday's Clasico and full trust in the referees

Asked about Sunday's Clasico, Masip said he is convinced that the pressure exerted by Real Madrid will not influence refereeing decisions. He appealed to the professionalism of match officials and described any suggestion otherwise as madness. The Barcelona dressing room, he added, is also unaffected by this external noise.

The Barcelona executive made it clear that the white club's accusations have no impact on the team or the Catalan environment, and that their only focus is on what happens on the pitch in a match that draws all the attention.

Frequently asked questions about Enric Masip's remarks