Javier Tebas still backs Real Madrid after childhood split with Barcelona-supporting brother

Javier Tebas says a random choice made during his childhood set the course for his lifelong support of Real Madrid, while his older brother remains a Barcelona fan.

The president of La Liga described how the football rivalry began within his family and continued to shape his interest in the game.

“In those days, we split up, with one of us supporting Barcelona and the other supporting Real Madrid. That was how our passion for football and our interest in what was happening began. From then on, our love of football started,” Tebas told an interview highlighted by Spanish newspaper Marca.

Tebas said the decision over which club to follow was made without any particular reason. He later attended a match after his uncle took him, but had already formed a lasting connection with Real Madrid.

“The choice of the two teams was random, and from then on we showed an interest in that team. My older brother is still a Barcelona supporter, and I am still a Real Madrid supporter,” he said.

The La Liga chief also recalled his teenage years in the city of Huesca, before he moved into professional football. His support for Real Madrid was shared with friends at school, although some of them followed Barcelona.

The rivalry between the two groups did not end when they left the football pitch. Tebas said arguments and jokes between Real Madrid and Barcelona supporters were a regular part of social occasions.

“There was not a night when we went out for drinks that it did not end with a confrontation between Barcelona supporters and Real Madrid supporters,” he said.

Tebas remembered one particular exchange that has stayed with him. Real Madrid fans would refer to the club’s history by saying they had won six European Cups, only for Barcelona supporters to respond with a joke about the distant past.

“When we said: ‘We have won six European Cups,’ the Barcelona supporters would say: ‘Dinosaurs existed too!’ I will never forget that phrase,” Tebas said.

His account reflects how the rivalry between Spain’s two most prominent clubs was already present in his family and social life long before he began working in football.

Despite the contrasting loyalties between the brothers, Tebas’s support for Real Madrid has remained unchanged from the chance decision made during his childhood. His older brother’s allegiance to Barcelona has lasted just as long, leaving the family divided between the two clubs.