La Liga president criticizes Real Madrid for frequently complaining about referees, stating, “They do it every week.”
Real Madrid’s recent actions have significantly strained their relationships with both La Liga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), leading to an all-time low in their diplomatic ties. The club’s behavior has drawn criticism from various parties, and Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has been particularly outspoken. Tebas has long held a critical stance toward the leadership of Real Madrid, and the current tensions have resulted in a series of heated exchanges and sharp statements from him.
One of the more recent developments that sparked this back-and-forth was Real Madrid’s refusal to participate in the Copa del Rey final, which Tebas addressed publicly. The La Liga president did not shy away from criticizing the club for what he perceives as an ongoing strategy of pressuring match officials. In an interview, Tebas spoke candidly about the situation, stating that the issues with referees were exacerbated by Real Madrid’s persistent actions. He referred to the club’s attempt to force a change in the referee for the Copa del Rey final, pointing out that while other clubs might voice their concerns only once or twice a year, Real Madrid, through its media channels, consistently targets referees on a weekly basis. Tebas remarked, “It’s the tension between a club and the referees. If the Copa del Rey wasn’t played, it would have been for the Real Madrid Board of Directors. They are trying to generalize that it is a matter of many clubs. The rest complain once or twice a year. Real Madrid TV does it every week.”
Tebas also weighed in on his personal relationship with Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, who has been at the helm of the club for years and played a pivotal role in shaping its success. When asked about Perez, Tebas did not hold back in revealing the differences between their approaches to football. He admitted that they rarely, if ever, see eye to eye on most matters, particularly when it comes to their visions for professional football. Tebas described Perez as an adversary in their differing conceptions of how the football industry should function. He stated, “He is an adversary in the concepts of how he wants professional football. We are at the antipodes. He wants an elitist and hierarchical football.”
In addition to the conflict with Perez’s leadership style, Tebas acknowledged that Perez’s impact on Real Madrid as a club has been significant, praising his managerial skills in making the club a global powerhouse. However, Tebas also emphasized that while Perez has excelled in managing Real Madrid, the way he runs the club differs greatly from his view of how the broader football industry should operate. Tebas concluded by noting that these contrasting perspectives were irreconcilable, summarizing his stance with, “It’s irreconcilable because they are two different soccer models.”
This ongoing conflict between La Liga, its president, and Real Madrid highlights the deep divisions within Spanish football, particularly around issues of governance, refereeing, and the direction of the sport as a whole.
