Tension has erupted in sports journalism. Siro López has launched a harsh attack against Josep Pedrerol. He accuses him of stealing the exclusive on Xabi Alonso's signing by Real Madrid.
The Galician journalist hasn't held back and has described the director and host of El Chiringuito as "unpresentable".
The differences between them go way back. Since Siro, who was a mainstay at Punto Pelota first and El Chiringuito later, left Pedrerol to accept an offer from Mediaset.
Since then, the disagreements between them have been constant, even resorting to the courts to settle them.
"Josep Pedrerol is a scoundrel"
In this case, Siro, a regular contributor to different media, revealed key information about Real Madrid's future coach. He was one of the first to point out that Xabi Alonso was chosen by Florentino Pérez to replace Carlo Ancelotti.
However, shortly after, Pedrerol appeared with the "exclusive" on his show, taking all the credit. Siro couldn't take it anymore and exploded publicly:
"I find what Josep has done unpresentable. He has appropriated information that he didn't uncover. He's a scoundrel".
He was that blunt in an intervention that has caused a great stir on social media.
"Taking credit for others' work"
It's not the first time journalistic egos collide, but this time the accusation is direct and unfiltered. Siro is convinced that Pedrerol takes advantage of the media platform that El Chiringuito gives him to "get rid of" other journalists and take credit for others' work.
Social media have been ablaze with the issue, and followers of both sides have taken a stand. Many remember that Siro López was a pioneer in talking about Xabi Alonso as the new white coach. He did it when most media were betting on other names, and the war between them doesn't seem to have a near end.
For now, Pedrerol remains silent. But knowing his style, he won't take long to respond. The battle for the Xabi Alonso exclusive is no longer just an informational matter, but a clash of egos that has exposed the miseries of sports journalism in Spain.