Real Madrid achieved a 2-1 victory over Rayo in extremis, with a penalty from Kylian Mbappé in the 100th minute making the difference. Rayo fans complained about the long added time sanctioned by the referee (nine minutes), while Pathé Ciss and Pep Chavarría were also sent off. The Senegalese midfielder has since admitted that his challenge deserved a red card.
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Laporta attacks Real Madrid TV for double standards
Real Madrid had several penalty appeals rejected during the course of the match, with Rayo players complaining about the ease with which Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Brahim Díaz fell to the ground. Laporta told Diario AS ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash against Albacete that Los Blancos benefited from the refereeing.
“I watched the Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano match. I don’t know where those nine or ten minutes of added time came from. I saw some plays in which some players are getting used to rushing into the area, pretending that they are fouled, and that should be a card. I felt that Rayo Vallecano was treated unfairly.”
Image via Alex Caparrós/Getty Images
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Before matches, and particularly after Real Madrid feel they have suffered at the hands of the referees, Real Madrid TV tends to harshly criticize the referees, complaining about corrupt decision-making. Laporta focused his frustration on leaving the club.
“We are talking about a club that has a television channel dedicated to making irrelevant statements and saying that the referees are constantly and permanently biased against them. Now they don’t say anything? What do they say now? Now it doesn’t affect their team? Have they analyzed all this? They need to act together.”
“We understand that these things can happen, but not that they always go in one direction, and we hope that they are corrected because they are very obvious situations. I say this in a constructive way, since sometimes mistakes are also made in our favor.”
Laporta confirms the electoral calendar
The elections in Barcelona will take place in mid-March and Laporta will run again. He confirmed that he will dissolve the board to call elections next Monday, which will be handled by a temporary electoral board.
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“The call for elections will be published on February 9 and, as the Statute says, some of the members of the Board will have to resign in order to stand for election, and we will do so at a Board meeting that we will also hold on Monday.”
Laporta was optimistic about winning a fourth term, as rivals line up to unseat him.
“(I am) very excited and full of energy. (It will be) an exemplary process, with high participation, where the candidates present their proposals, each in their own way, but within the normality that should exist between us.”