Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to miss Barcelona clasico for third successive season

Florentino Perez will not attend Sunday’s clasico at Camp Nou, underlining the complete breakdown in institutional relations between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Real Madrid will visit Barcelona for the eagerly anticipated match at 21:00 Central European Time, with Jose Mourinho’s return to Camp Nou providing one of the main talking points of the season. Away from the pitch, however, the fixture will be marked by the continued absence of the customary contact between the two clubs’ leadership.

Sources from both Barcelona and Real Madrid told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo that relations remain entirely severed after the Madrid club launched a vigorous campaign against Barcelona over the Negreira case.

As a result, the traditional pre-match business lunch involving the boards of the two clubs will not take place. The gathering had been regarded as an established part of clasico protocol for decades, with directors from both sides meeting hours before the match.

Perez is also set to continue his boycott of Camp Nou for a third consecutive season. Last season, Real Madrid were represented in the directors’ box only by their honorary president, Pirri.

This time, the expectation is that Real Madrid’s vice-president will be the only senior representative attending on behalf of the club.

The guest list for the clasico remains incomplete, with the sole confirmed high-profile attendee so far being the internationally known artist Tyler, the Creator.

Tyler, the Creator will be present as Barcelona display the logo of his brand, GOLF, on the front of their shirt during the match. The arrangement forms part of a new marketing initiative by the Catalan club.