A pointed jab at the archrival. Barcelona president speaks out about Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has delivered a scathing assessment of French forward Kylian Mbappé's move to Real Madrid, claiming that internal tensions within the bitter rivals' dressing room are inevitable.

Details: In a candid interview with French publication L’Équipe, the Blaugrana chief recalled his warnings about the dangers of trying to bring too many high-profile egos together in one dressing room.

“I told you! When there is more than one rooster in the same chicken coop, it can never work. In football, the most important thing is the team and the team spirit. If you don't have that, the project won't work,” the Catalan club president stated emphatically.

As a counterexample, Laporta highlighted Barcelona's philosophy, where a healthy atmosphere and collective play are given top priority.

“This is one of Barcelona's strengths. We do have great talents — La Masia graduates, players who come from different football cultures — and we manage to bring them together into a cohesive team that works extremely well. And that is thanks to a great coach, Hansi Flick, as well as sporting director Deco, who is working to improve this team,” the official stressed.

It is worth noting that the rivalry between the chiefs of Barcelona and Real Madrid traditionally flares up with renewed force ahead of each new edition of El Clásico. Kylian Mbappé's free-agent move in the summer of 2024 marked the culmination of Real Madrid's years-long transfer saga, but under Hansi Flick, the Catalans have countered the capital club's star power with a well-oiled team machine, an aggressive attacking style and the explosive progress of their own academy graduates.

Reminder: The toughest test for the Catalans. Hansi Flick speaks ahead of the battle with PSG