It is difficult to convey the visceral nature of the animosity unleashed by Barcelona President Joan Laporta on Monday when he accused Real Madrid of being the 'club of the regime' in a press conference.
The extraordinary response of Real Madrid, a slickly edited, four-minute video detailing all the occasions on which Barca had collaborated with General Franco and his fascist regime, will now define relations, such as they are, between these two clubs for decades.
If Laporta had thrown a grenade into the room by 'going there' and pandering to the deepest fear lodged in the psyche of any Spanish football fan who doesn't support the European Champions, then Real Madrid responded with equivalent of a drive-by shooting with semi-automatic weapons.