“It is worthy of Donald Trump” – Real Madrid’s Franco video lambasted by English media outlet

This week, Joan Laporta caused controversy by referring to Real Madrid as “the club of the regime” during his two-hour press conference into El Caso Negreira.

The remarks did not go down well at Real Madrid, who in turn responded with a video on their Twitter account, which referenced Barcelona’s connections with the Franco regime in the early-to-mid 20th century.

Although the video was adored by Madridistas across the world, many criticised it for bringing back memories of one of the darkest periods in Spain’s history.

The video did also not go down well in England, with Daily Mail writer Jason Draper (via MD) questioned whether Barcelona were indeed the “regime club”, before stating his belief that Real Madrid were trying to “manipulate a culture war”.

“Barcelona, especially under Laporta, would see itself as a bastion of Catalan nationalism, something that the winner of that civil war, General Franco, considered an internal enemy, and a decentralizing threat to Spanish power. It was something he tried to eliminate through brutality and violence.

“The video is a move worthy of Donald Trump, in his ability to manipulate a culture war for his own ends. Not only does it affect the club’s fans, but it digs into the wounds of the terrible Civil War of 1936-1939.”

The situation has caused much controversy in Spanish football this week, but with Barcelona and Real Madrid seemingly at each other’s throats over El Caso Negreira, it is one that doesn’t look like defusing any time soon.