Real Madrid, Barcelona to start a war against LaLiga?

Trouble has been brewing in the footballing world for years due to leagues enabling increasing financial disparities in the sport, which were exacerbated by state-sponsored clubs. And the pandemic then created a further chasm between the few biggest spenders and everyone else. Real Madrid and Barcelona are certainly not clubs fans should feel sympathy towards, but they have noticed their power slip in comparison to PSG, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

As such, the two powerhouse clubs of LaLiga are ready to make their ire known. First, there was the European Super League proposal, which is not completely dead yet. That was the brainchild of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, whose ambition in stealing Luis Figo from Barça and creating a Galactic empire centering marketing over sport could clearly be seen in this “ESL” plan.

But the second domino’s fall was the result of a strong gust of wind from the Catalan club. Barcelona lost their greatest icon in Lionel Messi. Their own financial mismanagement under a previous president is central to the issue, but LaLiga’s decision to put their foot in the ground and prevent Barça from circumventing a “soft” salary cap financial crown was the final blow that led to Messi’s departure to PSG.

Now, Real Madrid and Barcelona appear to be united, Perez and Barça president Joan Laporta working side-by-side, to challenge the authority of LaLiga and Javier Tebas. And if this battle plays out, it could have a major ripple effect on Spanish football and European football as a whole.

Real Madrid, Barcelona reportedly want to send LaLiga a message

Appearing on El Transistor, Roberto Gomez stated that a “big war” is on the horizon. Real Madrid and Barcelona apparently are planning on stopping the broadcast of their matches on television in an effort to show LaLiga how dependent they are on these two clubs for revenue and interest in Spain. Gomez added a quip that Laporta is something of a lackey to Perez at this point.

So could this actually happen? It’s hard to see it actually happening, given it would hurt both clubs financially. And it’s not like Barça are comfortably floating right now, while Real Madrid do have their own issues to worry about.

The larger statement is clear, though. These two powerful clubs are not happy and want to make it known through media leaks, statements, political chess, and even lawsuits. Yes, Real is suing LaLiga over the CVC deal, which RFEF deems illegal, and when you intertwine this case with the European Super League and now the animosity from Barcelona over the Messi heartbreak, you can see why reporters in Spain are talking about “war’.

So buckle up, Madridistas. Because when Perez wants to do something, he really goes for it. With the support of Laporta and even powerful men extending to clubs outside of Spain, Perez may feel emboldened to take on the world, even if it comes at the expense of his club’s sporting success.