Corruption shadows linger on El Clasico

There’s never a dull moment as far as Barcelona are concerned.

Fifa-imposed transfer bans, multiple fines for allowing the Catalan Estelada and Senyera (national flags) to be flown at Camp Nou, tax evasion rumblings attributed to Lionel Messi and Neymar…. Always something in Catalonia to keep the media entertained, aside from the magnificence on the pitch.

Against a backdrop of the particularly sad announcement at the back-end of last week that Johan Cruyff — one of Barca’s most famous sons and certainly its most influential — has lung cancer, came the news of a potential corruption scandal surrounding the forthcoming El Clasico.

The suggestion allegedly came from an assistant referee who was due to run the line at the Santiago Bernabeu when Barca come to town in late November. A complaint has been lodged with anti-corruption authorities after the as yet unnamed gentleman noted that the match referee had told him that decisions must “favour Real Madrid”.

Senior La Liga officials have of course been quick to decry the announcement, but the merest whiff of foul play has been enough to send Barcelona into meltdown.

After all, the stench of corruption has overshadowed this most epic of contests before. Even as far back as 1943, when Real Madrid romped to their most famous victory over the Catalans.

Trailing 3-0 from the first leg of the Copa del Generalisimo semi-final, Madrid racked up an astonishing 11-1 thrashing in front of their home fans in the second leg. Barcelona still celebrate that defeat while Real continue to hush it up. You can probably guess why.

Fast forward to this past weekend and Luis Enrique bravely decided to stick his head above the parapet when addressing assembled media for his usual news conference; “They are very surprising claims. This is unpleasant news and we hope these claims will be investigated.

“I am not going to make any further comments on this as it is hard enough for the referees to officiate a game as it is. But this will have to be investigated. If this is true, something will have to be done.”

So, once again, the fixture between Spain’s biggest superpowers is mired in controversy. Forget the bountiful, beautiful football that will be on show, all that will be talked about in the lead up to this one is how La Liga has shot itself in the foot — again.

When you consider Diego Simeone’s words at the beginning of the season during an interview, it makes the whole sorry episode even more intriguing.

The Argentine, never far away from controversy himself, won’t have endeared himself to his cross-town rivals when telling Spanish daily AS: “Dangerously complicated for any team other than Real Madrid [to win La Liga] because it can’t happen that Real Madrid wins only one league after seven years. So, I see [the Liga title race] dangerously prepared for Real Madrid, sadly.”

Such comment is unhelpful and perhaps unreasonable, and it certainly deflects the focus away from the magnificent job that Rafa Benitez is doing at present.

A comfortable win away at Celta Vigo sees Los Blancos as the only unbeaten side in Spain, but sadly for Rafa the toughest appointment in Spanish football just got a whole lot tougher.

- The columnist is an expert in Spanish football