The row between Real Madrid and Javier Tebas has entered a new phase. The head of the Spanish league has made a controversial comparison, prompting the Royals to demand his resignation.
Barbs are regularly exchanged between Real Madrid and the Spanish league chief Javier Tebas. Now the tone has become significantly harsher once again. The president of LaLiga had publicly criticised the fact that Real’s own television channel regularly shows highlights of incidents which he classifies as serious refereeing errors. Tebas compared this tactic to the methods of Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister during the Nazi era: “Systematic repetition, the construction of an enemy and the subordination of facts to the narrative.”
The Royals responded to this accusation on Friday in an official club statement. “Real Madrid considers it absolutely intolerable and extremely serious that someone holding two leading positions in Spanish football should compare the club’s propaganda methods with those of the Nazi regime in order to discredit the club, its leadership and its television channel,” reads the statement regarding Tebas, who is also vice-president of the Spanish Football Federation.
“His clarification that he is not referring to Nazi ideology does nothing to alter the deeply offensive, morally reprehensible and institutionally unworthy nature of his remarks. Javier Tebas’s repeated behaviour demonstrates a lack of neutrality, respect and impartiality that is incompatible with his institutional duties,” Real added.
In the club’s view, Tebas’s remarks and behaviour are incompatible with the principles of respect, neutrality and integrity of sporting institutions. Real therefore called for his “immediate resignation” – both as league chief and from his role at the association.
Tebas responded promptly with a lengthy statement via X. He wrote that he had “lost count of how many times Real Madrid’s leadership has called for my resignation or attempted to secure my suspension during my thirteen years in office”, the 64-year-old stated, accusing the club: “They are trying to destroy the national competitions. What they failed to achieve with the Super League, they are now trying to achieve through a distorted narrative in their media.”
Finally, he issued a demand to the leadership team led by President Florentino Pérez: “Stop targeting people and confusing criticism of your leadership with attacks on the club and its fans. All of this has a name: intimidation.”
The dispute has a long history
The dispute between one of the most powerful men in Spanish football and the capital’s club has a long history. Real Madrid has been at loggerheads with the Spanish refereeing authorities for some time. The club criticises alleged unfair treatment and uses its own TV channel to publicly denounce controversial decisions. Furthermore, the club has lodged a complaint with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) regarding a dispute with FC Barcelona over payments to a refereeing official.
