Barcelona have mocked bitter rivals Real Madrid after opening a new superstore in the Spanish capital, much to Gary Lineker's delight.
The Catalan giants opened their new shop on Thursday. It's located just round the corner from a Real superstore and they've promoted it by hanging up a huge "Raul is Culer" banner in the middle of Madrid - claiming one of Real's greatest players supports them.
It's claimed Raul Gonzalez has a soft spot for Barcelona, although he's never confirmed this. Ex-striker Lineker, who spent three seasons at Barcelona, joined in with the banter by sharing a video of the shop being opened and adding: "Madrid is Blaugrana [Barcelona]."
Barcelona posted a video of their controversial banner on Twitter to raise publicity for the new shop. The superstore is the club's first in Madrid and is a bold move, considering it's in Real's territory. Barcelona and Real have shared a fierce rivalry for many decades.
Barcelona's new shop was opened by board member Xavier Barbany and former player Luis Garcia. Real already have a superstore in the heart of Barcelona, with another branch located in Mexico. Both clubs have several shops in their respective areas.
The banner will anger Real supporters, as Raul is one of the greatest players in the club's history. The Madrid-born striker came through the club's ranks and spent 18 years at the club - winning six LaLiga titles, three Champions Leagues and various other honours.
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Raul scored 323 goals for Real to become the club's record scorer, a record that's since been broke by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spaniard continues to be associated with the club and is currently the manager of the 'B' team. He's also coached several youth teams.
Rumours of Raul's soft spot for Barcelona have circulated for years. He's previously offered kind words about some of Barcelona's Spanish players and admitted he was happy they won the 2015 Champions League under his former team-mate Luis Enrique.
"When they [Barca] win the Champions League, I am glad," he told Vanity Fair in January 2016. "In the end it is a Spanish team and I have no problem saying that publicly. The rivalry helps the two clubs: Barca would not be without Madrid and vice versa - they need each other. Why would I wish harm to anyone? It is not within my personality."
It's not the first time Barcelona president Joan Laporta has used a banner to promote the club. He hired a billboard with his face on next to Real's Santiago Bernabeu ground during his 2021 election campaign with the caption: "Looking forward to seeing you again."
It's believed dozens of fans attended the opening of Barcelona's new shop, despite its location. Barbany said: "The Barca Store in Madrid is one more step in the expansion plans for BLM - which as you know is Barca Licensing & Merchandising - in the management of the retail and merchandising business generated by FC Barcelona."
Barcelona are planning on opening a network of official shops across the world to build their "BLM" brand. Barbany added: "A club like ours, which is one of the biggest sports brands in the world, with millions of followers, arouses huge interest."
