'A Dive': Barcelona Chief Mocks Real Madrid's Late-Game Penalty In Recent Win

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reignited the fierce war of words with bitter rivals Real Madrid, publicly mocking the penalty that gifted Kylian Mbappé a late winner against Rayo Vallecano. The outspoken Catalan chief was spotted openly ridiculing the decision, labelling the incident a "dive", suggesting that Alvaro Arbeloa's side are benefitting from favorable officiating as tensions between the two clubs reach boiling point.

The fragile truce between Spain’s two footballing superpowers appears to have been shattered completely following Real Madrid’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano over the weekend. With the scores locked at 1-1 and the clock ticking deep into stoppage time, the European champions were awarded a contentious penalty when Brahim Diaz went down in the box.

Mbappé stepped up to convert the spot-kick, securing three vital points for new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, but the decision has drawn derision from the Camp Nou. Laporta has since been overheard openly mocking the incident while speaking with colleagues.

The Barça supremo was asked if he for his thoughts on Madrid's decisive penalty and simply uttered the word "dive" as he chuckled.

The context of the mockery was a performance that was far from vintage from the champions. Rayo had frustrated their illustrious neighbors for the vast majority of the contest, and it appeared that Arbeloa, who only replaced the sacked Xabi Alonso last month, was destined to drop two crucial points in La Liga.

Madrid had struggled to break down the resilient Rayo backline, and as the game entered its dying embers, the pressure was mounting on the rookie head coach. A draw would have been a significant boost for Barcelona, keeping them comfortably clear at the top