LaLiga president Javier Tebas has hit back at Real Madrid following a statement issued by the club after their 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby. Tebas responded in a post on X, agreeing with Real Madrid on one point but rejecting the club’s criticism of his approach……
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has hit back at Real Madrid following a statement issued by the club after their 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby.
Tebas responded in a post on X, agreeing with Real Madrid on one point but rejecting the club’s criticism of his approach to the Spanish league and refereeing issues.
“I’ve read the statement. I fully agree with one phrase: the president of LaLiga is not the owner of the competition. The president of Real Madrid isn’t either,” Tebas wrote.
He said his responsibility was to represent all LaLiga clubs by defending equality and equity across the competition.
Tebas also criticised claims that LaLiga would be worth nothing without Real Madrid and that referees were harming “the business that feeds them,” saying Real Madrid’s statement did not address those issues.
“On those statements, which prompted my response, your statement doesn’t say a word,” he said.
The LaLiga president accused Real Madrid of attempting to distance itself from narratives promoted through Real Madrid TV and other platforms associated with the club.
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“They’ve been doing it for years from Real Madrid TV and through their mouthpieces, talking and writing about a tampered League week after week,” Tebas said.
“Don’t try to present as an external opinion the discourse they feed from their own television and from the club’s instances.”
Tebas also defended his criticism of claims that referees are deliberately acting against Real Madrid, arguing that while questioning individual refereeing decisions is legitimate, repeatedly presenting decisions as evidence of persecution could affect the image of Spanish football.
“Criticizing a refereeing decision is legitimate. Turning every detriment into proof of persecution is something else,” he said.
He further rejected what he described as Real Madrid’s interpretation of neutrality, saying independence required making decisions based on personal judgment and applying the same standards to all clubs.
“They confuse neutrality with independence,” Tebas wrote.
“If by neutrality they mean not taking sides on anything, not even between what’s right and what’s wrong, they’re asking me to renounce my responsibility.”
The LaLiga president maintained that defending the interests of the competition did not mean adopting the position of any individual club.
“Defending a club’s interests doesn’t mean assuming its discourse. And representing everyone doesn’t mean obeying the most powerful either. The interests of the competition, of LaLiga, must be defended,” he said.
Tebas concluded by insisting that LaLiga would not be run in the interest of one club.
“I’m neither the owner of LaLiga nor will I manage it as if it belonged to a single club. Respect for all. Subordination to none,” he said.
