Tebas lists Real Madrid claims in defence of La Liga’s integrity

La Liga president Javier Tebas has issued a detailed response to criticism of his treatment of Real Madrid and its president Florentino Perez, saying he is obliged to defend the competition’s reputation and the interests of all its clubs.

Tebas published the statement on X after an article by journalist Tomas Gonzalez Martin in El Debate, titled “Javier Tebas tries to justify his excesses by clinging to anything”. Tebas responded under the headline “Who is attacking whom?”

He accused Gonzalez Martin of overlooking years of allegations made by Perez and Real Madrid’s official channels against La Liga, its management and the integrity of the competition.

Tebas cited Perez’s comments at La Liga’s 2023 and 2024 general assemblies, when the Real Madrid president presented the CVC investment agreement as an attempt to seize the club’s assets. Tebas said two court rulings, one at first instance and another on appeal, upheld the agreement and supported La Liga and the 38 clubs that joined it.

He also referred to a Real Madrid board statement dated 10 August 2025, which he said threatened La Liga and CVC with “all kinds of legal action”.

According to Tebas, another Real Madrid board statement on 3 February 2025 accused the competition of having a “structurally corrupt system”, manipulating matches and damaging its integrity.

He added that Perez said at a news conference on 12 May 2026: “Our eternal enemy is La Liga.” Tebas also said Perez claimed Real Madrid could have won more Spanish league titles but had been “robbed” of others.

Tebas then listed descriptions of La Liga broadcast by Real Madrid’s official television channel. Following Rayo Vallecano v Real Madrid on 14 December 2024, it called the competition the “dirty Negreira League”. After Espanyol v Real Madrid on 1 February 2025, it repeated that phrase and referred to the “executors of the Medina Cantalejo plan”.

After Osasuna v Real Madrid on 15 February 2025, the channel described the competition as the “League of Deception” and the “Medina Cantalejo, Tebas and Lozano League”.

On 4 August 2025, before the season began, Real Madrid TV director Jesus Alcaide said: “This league is already starting distorted and begins amid filth,” in response to the fixture schedule and the refusal to postpone the opening match against Osasuna.

Tebas said the channel used the phrases “a distorted and corrupt league”, “there is systematic corruption” and “the dirty Negreira League” around Real Madrid’s match with Villarreal on 10 October 2026.

“These are statements from the club president, decisions by its board and messages broadcast by the club’s official television channel,” Tebas said. “They are all public and verifiable.”

He rejected the idea that his response amounted to an attack on Real Madrid, saying the club’s history and status deserved respect but did not grant Perez immunity from criticism or require others to remain silent.

Tebas also said he did not accept the repeated association of Perez with Real Madrid, arguing that challenging the president’s comments and the club’s broadcasts was part of the debate over how football is run in Spain.

Addressing a separate dispute over his reference to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, Tebas said he was still waiting for an explanation of why describing propaganda methods was acceptable when used about Pedro Sanchez, Josep Borrell, Oscar Puente, Mariano Rajoy and others, but not when used by him.

He concluded that La Liga’s purpose came not only from the competition itself but also from the other clubs, their history, supporters, rights and interests. “The president of La Liga is responsible for defending those clubs, even if that annoys Florentino or appears to Gonzalez to be excessive,” he said.