Catalan independence backers rage at Laporta for backing Spain
Catalan separatists attack Barcelona president Joan Laporta for supporting Spain's national team. Behind the noise, Barça's finances and the decline of secessionism explain it.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Does Laporta deserve the separatists' hatred for backing Spain?
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has become the target of anger from a sector of the Catalan independence movement. The reason: his public support for the Spanish national football team during the 2026 World Cup. On a Catalan forum he has been branded a "traitor", with some even wishing a heart attack on him. Behind the noise, however, an uncomfortable truth for secessionism emerges: Barça's business and politics do not mix.
The 'botifler' figure resurfaces
Laporta's support for the Spanish team has revived the myth of the "botifler" (internal traitor) among the most radical separatists. While during the tournament some even cheered on Portugal and France just to see Spain fall, the Barcelona president's gesture stung them in a particular way. "Laporta feeds them", one comment summed up, describing the need to point out a traitor as "very important in the imagination of these low-rent Nancy". Beyond its derogatory tone, the remark reflects the anxiety of a movement watching one of its most emblematic figures break ranks.
Business comes first: Barça as a company
But there is a less emotional and more economic analysis. "Laporta is a businessman, and Barça is already a company; independence doesn't make money and is politically dead", the argument goes in the discussion. The club needs revenue, and the Spain brand carries weight. Secessionism, for its part, has been losing steam for years both at the ballot box and on the balance sheets. A Barcelona president aligning himself with the national team is simply a sign of which way the market winds are blowing.
The paradox is that those who shout loudest against Laporta are the same people who ran out of arguments when the independence process deflated. Reality is stubborn: football's business goes one way and independence the other. And in the end, whoever pays the bill decides.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has become the target of anger from a sector of the Catalan independence movement. The reason: his public support for the Spanish national football team during the 2026 World Cup. On a Catalan forum he has been branded a "traitor", with some even wishing a heart attack on him. Behind the noise, however, an uncomfortable truth for secessionism emerges: Barça's business and politics do not mix.
The 'botifler' figure resurfaces
Laporta's support for the Spanish team has revived the myth of the "botifler" (internal traitor) among the most radical separatists. While during the tournament some even cheered on Portugal and France just to see Spain fall, the Barcelona president's gesture stung them in a particular way. "Laporta feeds them", one comment summed up, describing the need to point out a traitor as "very important in the imagination of these low-rent Nancy". Beyond its derogatory tone, the remark reflects the anxiety of a movement watching one of its most emblematic figures break ranks.
Business comes first: Barça as a company
But there is a less emotional and more economic analysis. "Laporta is a businessman, and Barça is already a company; independence doesn't make money and is politically dead", the argument goes in the discussion. The club needs revenue, and the Spain brand carries weight. Secessionism, for its part, has been losing steam for years both at the ballot box and on the balance sheets. A Barcelona president aligning himself with the national team is simply a sign of which way the market winds are blowing.
The paradox is that those who shout loudest against Laporta are the same people who ran out of arguments when the independence process deflated. Reality is stubborn: football's business goes one way and independence the other. And in the end, whoever pays the bill decides.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (15 replies).
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