Joan Laporta, the president of Barcelona, has expressed his disappointment with Real Madrid players for failing to offer a guard of honour to his team following their 3-2 victory in the Spanish Supercopa final on Sunday.
The match, held in Saudi Arabia, was highly competitive, with Raphinha scoring the opener for Barcelona in the first half. However, three quick goals during first-half stoppage time from Vinícius Júnior, Robert Lewandowski, and Gonzalo García saw the score tied at 2-2.
This match also marked Xabi Alonso’s final game as Madrid manager.
A decisive second-half goal from Raphinha led Barcelona to claim the trophy, while the behaviour of Madrid’s players during Barcelona’s post-match celebrations has come under scrutiny.
While the champions traditionally give a guard of honour to the runners-up before the medal ceremony, Madrid chose not to salute their rivals and instead left the pitch as Barcelona celebrated their victory.
Social media images depicted Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé talking to his teammates before they retreated to the dressing room.
ESPN sources close to the Madrid squad indicated that there is no strict mandate for the losing team to give a guard of honour to the champions.
According to sources, the Madrid players remained on the pitch to witness the trophy presentation but were later instructed by officials to move to another location to avoid obstructing the view of the celebrations.
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Last season, Barça triumphed over Madrid in four encounters, including a 5-2 rout in the 2025 Supercopa final, as they secured a domestic treble, although Madrid claimed victory in their first encounter this season with a 2-1 win at the Bernabéu in October.
Commenting on the post-match incident, Laporta remarked to Catalan radio station RAC1, “I was surprised by Mbappé’s actions. In both victory and defeat, one must demonstrate generosity and respect. That is the essence of sports… We exhibited generosity in our victory and showed respect for our opponents.” He added, “There was a noticeable difference in attitude since the league match. The players seemed quite agitated, which is understandable. Though I didn’t witness the moment with Mbappé on the field, I can imagine it was an extremely challenging experience for them, leading to their reaction.”