Barcelona and Real Madrid, hated rivals who need each other more than ever
“It’s a frosty December morning in Madrid. But inside its swish Hotel Ritz, there is the warm buzz of money and power. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and Barcelona counterpart Joan Laporta enter together, just as the breakfast event at which they are the star guests is about to begin. … Over recent decades, Perez and Laporta had so often been on opposite sides as Madrid and Barca battled for domination of La Liga — and regularly for control of the Champions League trophy, too. But events have driven them together, and these two historic rivals have become intertwined in a new love story which has huge consequences for the future of Spanish and European football. …”
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