Rosell restokes Real war of words
Reuters - Thursday 16 June 2011, 18:30
MADRID - A war of words between Barcelona
and Real Madrid intensified on Thursday when Barca president
Sandro Rosell accused the Catalan club's bitter rivals of
anti-sporting behaviour and slammed Real coach Jose Mourinho.
Bad blood boiled up between the Spanish giants around four
clashes in three competitions in 18 days late last season and
Rosell used his end-of-campaign news conference to read out a
strongly-worded statement condemning Real.
"We believe that this season Real Madrid has gone beyond all
the limits of the necessary sporting rivalry, making accusations
against our club that have no foundation," Rosell said.
"The rivalry will continue next season but we will not allow
the limits of sporting behaviour to be exceeded again.
"Football deserves clean competition and FC Barcelona will
do everything to preserve that.
"If necessary, we will take legal action and take the case
to the relevant sporting tribunals."
Real responded with a statement in which they said they
regretted Rosell's "unfortunate comments."
The club said his statement was motivated by "pressure the
board of directors has been placed under by part of a certain
and nearby media environment, which has called for an aggressive
attitude towards our club".
"For the good of football, Real Madrid CF will continue
working to maintain the best possible relations with FC
Barcelona, as it typically does with all clubs in Europe and the
world," the statement added.
CHEATING, ABUSE
European champions Barca eliminated Real from the Champions
League and beat the Madrid club into second place in La Liga for
a third successive season. Real claimed a dramatic King's Cup
final win over Barca to win their only silverware of the
campaign.
The four matches were marred by play-acting, brawling and
allegations of cheating and racist abuse.
After the Champions League semi-final first leg, Mourinho
said Barca enjoyed favourable treatment from referees and Real
later filed a complaint with UEFA - which was rejected -
accusing Barca players of diving and alleging midfielder Sergio
Busquets had called defender Marcelo a monkey.
Barca filed their own complaint with UEFA over Mourinho's
comments and the Portuguese was suspended for five matches and
fined 50,000 euros.
He faces an appeals hearing on July 29 and has said he will
use every means at his disposal to fight the sanction.
"The news conference that the Real Madrid coach gave after
the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Bernabeu shamed
anyone who considers themselves an athlete," Rosell said.
Barca were also outraged by a report on Spanish radio
station Cadena Cope, which cited an unidentified Real official
as its source, that suggested Barca's players and medical staff
were engaged in illegal doping.
"I can assure you that if someone, in the name of FC
Barcelona, had made an accusation of this kind we would have
acted with firmness, denying it immediately and taking those
responsible to court," Rosell said.
"We would have appreciated a similar response from Real
Madrid but unfortunately this was not the case."
Real said Rosell's remarks were "serious and false
insinuations" and insisted the Cadena Cope report had nothing to
do with the club.
"Reports which, as everyone knows, our club denied at the
time, immediately and categorically, in the place of their
origin," the club's statement said.
GREAT BENEFICIARY
Rosell said it was now up to Real president Florentino Perez
to mend relations between the clubs.
"A few days ago the president of Real Madrid said he would
not stop until the club had won a 10th European Cup," he said.
"We hope that they attempt this on the pitch, in a sporting
manner and rediscovering a way of behaving that I believe many
Madrid fans want.
"The president of Real Madrid has a chance to reconstitute
our relations, on and off the pitch.
"Football, which usually gives you back what you put in,
will be the great beneficiary."