Barça chief Laporta: Madrid have model of 'power'

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said Clásico rivals Real Madrid person a exemplary of "power" and "signing players" that contrasts with however the Catalan nine is run.

Laporta overlooked that Barça person besides spent large wealth connected transfers successful the past, saying the Blaugrana are "more than a club" due to the fact that they absorption connected processing players.

"We're antithetic clubs," Laporta told the club's in-house podcast. "Madrid person a consciousness of power, portion we person a consciousness of freedom. Everyone looks retired for their ain interests.

"It's a bully rivalry which some clubs provender off, from a presumption of respect, but we person antithetic models.

"Our [model] is based connected processing youngsters done La Masia and creating talent; Madrid are much inclined to signing players. They don't person galore players successful their squad who person travel done the academy.

"We're truly arrogant of who we are. We are much than a club."

Barça person breached the €100 cardinal ($117m) obstruction 3 times successful the past decennary to motion Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann.

They besides spent large to bring the likes of Neymar, Luis Suárez and Frenkie de Jong to the nine successful caller years.

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso did not privation to beryllium drawn into a statement connected the issue, but replied to Laporta by suggesting the clubs are not that different.

"I ideate the discourse successful which helium said what helium said and I don't privation to get involved," Alonso said successful a quality league earlier Madrid's Club World Cup fixture against Salzburg.

"But we bash person a feeling of state and ideology ... and I ideate they besides person immoderate power. It goes some ways."

Meanwhile, Laporta besides tried to play down the proposition that organization relations with Athletic Club person breached down implicit the club's pursuit of Nico Williams.

Sporting manager Deco confirmed Williams has a "desire" to join this summer, prompting reports Athletic volition kick to LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] if Barça activate his €58m merchandise clause without having the indispensable fiscal just play to registry him.

"I don't recognize Athletic's reaction," Laporta said. "With each owed respect, everyone should interest astir their ain business.

"I don't recognize wherefore they would spell to LaLiga to talk astir Barça, which is thing to bash with them, but each to their ain ...

"We've taken each the indispensable steps to beryllium capable to motion normally. We volition beryllium capable to motion and registry the 2 players we privation to sign."

The archetypal subordinate Laporta was referring to was goalkeeper Joan García, who signed from Espanyol for €25m past week, portion the 2nd people is Spain winger Williams.