Yahoo Sports RFEF president opens up on Barcelona president’s Spanish Super Cup incident – ‘He apologized in his own way’
Rafael Louzan, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), recently spoke about various matters, including the Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia where Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the final.
Ahead of the semi-finals, where Barcelona faced Athletic Club, the club received a major boost. The Higher Sports Council (CSD) granted a precautionary measure allowing them to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor beyond the December 31 deadline.
This decision was met with widespread joy throughout the club. President Joan Laporta was notably seen celebrating the announcement with great enthusiasm, displaying a visible gesture of excitement.
However, controversy soon followed during the final held at the Al Jawhara Stadium in Jeddah. Reports emerged claiming that Laporta had directed inappropriate comments towards certain RFEF members upon his arrival at the stadium’s box.
It did happen
Louzan confirmed this incident during the interview, clarifying that while he himself was not personally insulted, RFEF directors had mentioned the occurrence, and several journalists present had also reportedly witnessed it.
“He didn’t insult me, it seems that he did to RFEF directors. Some journalistic witnesses attest to it, the directors also told me,” said Louzan as quoted by SPORT.
Louzan mentioned that he was initially unaware of the situation as he was in the referees’ locker room at the time, discussing match-related matters.
By the time he reached the directors’ box, tensions had already surfaced, though he acknowledged that such moments are part and parcel of football.
“I don’t know about kicks, I was greeting the referees in the locker room, which was very good for me. When I arrived at the top, there was tension, but everything is happening, this is football,” he added.
Laporta apologised… in his own way
Regarding whether Laporta offered an apology for his behaviour, Louzan explained that the Barcelona president addressed the issue the following day during a meeting with Saudi Arabian authorities.
“He apologized in his own way the next day we spoke, we had a reception with the Saudi Arabian authorities.”
While his response may not have been a formal apology, he suggested that the heated reaction was driven by passion for the game.
“In his own way, the man said that football is passion, that we had to understand it… It’s football, we’re going to try to get the water back into the riverbed.”
In football, emotions often run high, and such incidents, while regrettable, are not entirely unexpected. However, maintaining professionalism remains essential, especially in high-profile events like the Super Cup.
