Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts after winning the men's singles final match against Russia's Daniil Medvedev on day fourteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 31, 2022. - -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by MARTIN KEEP/AFP via Getty Images)
Barcelona official resigns after calling Rafael Nadal an “enemy of the state”
Barcelona President Joan Laporta has confirmed the resignation of Alfons Godall after he made comments about Rafael Nadal on Thursday. Godall is a vice-president of the Barca Foundation and an open supporter of Catalan independence.
He admitted that his words could “harm the Barca Foundation due to pressure from some companies and the media”.
Godall called Nadal as “Rafael Navidad”, which means Christmas in Catalan, into the Spanish form of the word. His entire tweet read: “Rafael Navidad has made me uncomfortable from day one. I have him in the same group as La Roja, Real Madrid, (Fernando) Alonso and everything that represents the enemy state.”
Nadal, who won a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Sunday, hails from Mallorca, but is a huge fan of Real Madrid. Laporta revealed the news during the unveiling of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He said: “He considered that given there had been complaints from employers, investors and sponsors of the Foundation due to a tweet he wrote, he did not want to harm the Foundation and has decided to resign voluntarily. The decision has been respected and that’s it.” (h/t FirstPost)
Rafael Nadal overcame all odds in Melbourne to win his second Australian Open. With the victory, he surpasses Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Nadal, a 13-time Champion at Roland Garros will be licking his lips with the idea of adding another one to his tally.
The Spaniard has set many records in Paris, with the officials unveiling a statue of Nadal at Roland Garros. This year could possibly be a good chance. However, Novak Djokovic is set to be his biggest headache. The Serbian beat him in the semi-finals last year on his way to the title.
The World No. 1 will look to start his season at the ATP 500 Dubai Open after missing out on the Australian Open. He will also be looking to push away from the chasing pack. Djokovic is only 850 points ahead of the Russian Daniil Medvedev. The 2022 ATP season is well on its way with more surprises expected in the next few months.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates
