Villarreal leapfrog Valencia into third place

Posted Monday, March 21, 2011 by The Sun

REAL MADRID'S war against Barcelona reached a new low as the Catalan giants were accused of doping.

The story with a trail of accusations and counter-accusations dominated news in Spain all week.

A radio station made the shock claim that Real Madrid were going to demand much stricter doping tests from the Spanish Federation because Barcelona and Valencia were using doctors of 'questionable reputation'.

Cadena Cope Radio were forced into issuing an immediate apology to both Barca and Valencia but this hasn't taken away the huge question marks as to where the story came from and why it was reported.

The whole issue has left a sour taste and a trail of suspicions, innuendo, accusations and counter-accusations.

So much so that Jose Mourinho had to distance himself from this particularly nasty twist in a shameful saga.

The Special One has spent all season accusing refs and fixture-makers of favouring the Catalans but refused to be drawn on the doping issue.

It overshadowed Madrid's midweek win over Lyon that set up a Champions League quarter-final clash with Tottenham and was the only topic of conversation in the three days I spent in the Spanish capital.

What caused universal outrage in Spain was the way in which those accusations were levelled at Barcelona.

Real president Florentino Perez personally rang up Barca counterpart Sandro Rosell to deny he was the source of the story.

Nevertheless Cadena Cope claimed in their apology that their source was someone at 'very high board level at Real Madrid'.

Barcelona threatened legal proceedings, as did Valencia.

Barca boss Pep Guardiola implied Perez was behind the story. Guardiola said: "The question about doping is not for me, it's for Radio Cope and Mr Florentino Perez.

"When they reach an agreement over the events they will inform us. Each of them gave their version but they contradict themselves.

"I say Florentino because he's the person responsible for the institution that Cope cited as the source of their story. He's the president of that club not the kitman."

Valencia star David Albelda hinted Perez was a sore loser as he spent vast sums on transfers and achieved little by way of trophies.

Albelda said: "The doping theory is without foundation and is a way to justify their failures. It's indicative of someone who makes huge investments and then fails to achieve the expected results."

Madrid lag five points behind Barcelona in the standings and now stand accused of underhand tactics.

Hugely-respected Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque - a Real Madrid legend as player and manager - was fuming.

He said: "There are people who are trying to hurt Spanish football.

"We deeply regret this is happening given how good winning the World Cup has been for Spanish football."

Del Bosque's message was clear as Barcelona had SIX players in Spain's starting line-up in the World Cup.

Those accusations inevitably cast a shadow over Spain's success too. Throughout the season there have also been question marks about Mourinho's approach.

Typically Mourinho has been creating controversy as his team have failed to live with Barcelona on the pitch.

So far he has become La Liga's whinger-in-chief. Apart from Real fans who idolise him, Mourinho is mockingly referred to as the 'Cry-baby'.

In November, Mourinho's side were humiliated 5-0 at the Nou Camp and the return on April 16 will all but decide La Liga.

Just four days later the Catalans will face Madrid in the Spanish Cup final. The two giants could also face off in the Champions League semis should Real dump Tottenham and Barca see off Shakhtar Donetsk.

The stakes could not be higher. For all their undoubted talent, Madrid go into these fixtures against Barca as huge underdogs.

Despite splashing a third of a BILLION pounds on signings, Real are mockingly referred to in Spain as the 'second best team in the world' - behind Barca.

And it is no coincidence that Mourinho's Bernabeu fate will largely depend on how he fares against the Catalans in the next six weeks.