Barcelona President Laporta: Real Madrid Are Still Alive

With ten minutes remaining in El Clásico, Joan Laporta's face in the directors box was a picture of disappointment. Come the final whistle, however, the widest of smiles had come to the fore, much to the annoyance of Ramon Calderon next to him. Immediately after the match, Laporta spoke to La Sexta about the game.

While the temptation to rub salt into Real Madrid's considerable wounds would have been strong, Laporta was unexpectedly prudent, referring to them as a "worthy rival." "We have to keep our feet on the ground," Laporta continued, "because they are a very strong team, with a great mentality, who are recovering after a difficult time."

The Barca president then congratulated team on how hard they worked in the tricky conditions, before thanking the capacity crowd for their support.

With such a commanding lead at the top of the table, many would be forgiven for virtually granting Barcelona the title already, but Laporta was having none of it. When asked if Real Madrid were out of the race, he said "No, there is a long way to go, and we have to also respect Villarreal, Sevilla, Atletico and Deportivo." One can only assume that by Deportivo, Laporta meant Valencia.

Finally, Laporta spoke of the future, saying "We are in a solid position, we are winning games and I hope we continue, but the league is far from decided."

Arjun Miglani




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