Tebas hits back at Real Madrid, fuels the row: “Subservient to no one” | OneFootball

The LaLiga president once again responded to criticism from the Madrid club and questioned Real Madrid TV’s narrative regarding refereeing and the Negreira case.

New chapter in the clash between Real Madrid and LaLiga

The institutional tension between Real Madrid and Javier Tebas continues to rise.

The latest episode began after a report aired by Real Madrid TV, later shared on social media, in which the club’s official channel once again questioned Spanish refereeing and suggested an ongoing bias against Los Blancos.

Tebas responded from his personal X account and pushed back against the narrative used by the Madrid club, especially the references to an alleged refereeing persecution.

Tebas questions the accusations of a conspiracy

The LaLiga president argued that portraying refereeing mistakes as part of a conspiracy could end up serving as an explanation for other sporting problems.

According to Tebas, this kind of argument “serves as an excuse to cover up other shortcomings”, and he said that turning every controversial refereeing decision into proof of persecution is something “no one with common sense believes”.

The executive also said that this narrative could end up damaging the international image of Spanish football.

The Negreira case returns to the center of the dispute

As part of the renewed confrontation between the two sides, the Negreira case also resurfaced.

Real Madrid TV has used documentation related to bank transfers from Banco Sabadell to provide context for the payments made over the years involving the circle of then vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, Enríquez Negreira, and FC Barcelona.

Tebas, however, distanced himself from the interpretation put forward by the Madrid club and reminded that LaLiga was one of the institutions that joined the legal proceedings in the case.

The league chief also questioned the use of that case to establish a direct link with current refereeing and dismissed as baseless the idea of an ongoing conspiracy.

He also rejected the possibility that clubs should be able to demand a certain type of refereeing based on their budget or audience.

Madrid called for Tebas to step down

Tebas’s response comes just days after one of the harshest statements published by Real Madrid against the LaLiga chief.

The club described it as “intolerable” and “unbecoming of a responsible executive” that Tebas used his position to, according to Madrid, repeatedly attack and discredit the institution.

In that statement, Los Blancos even called for a new LaLiga president who would act under a principle of neutrality.

Real Madrid also reminded that “the president of LaLiga is not the owner of the competition, but a manager in the service of the clubs”.

“The president of Real Madrid isn’t either”

Tebas chose to respond by using that very phrase as his starting point.

The executive argued that his position is intended to preserve fairness within the competition and said he does not intend to yield to pressure.

In this way, the clash between Real Madrid and LaLiga remains open and adds another chapter in the middle of the season, with refereeing, the Negreira case, and Tebas’s institutional role among the main points of friction.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.