Real Madrid demand La Liga president Javier Tebas' resignation over Nazi propaganda comparison

Real Madrid have demanded the immediate resignation of La Liga president Javier Tebas. This came from the Spanish giants after Tebas compared the club’s media strategy to propaganda methods used by Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germany’s propaganda minister. The club vehemently condemned the remarks on Friday, calling them offensive.

The controversy kicked off when Tebas responded on X to two articles in the Spanish newspaper El Debate. These articles had criticised Tebas and La Liga for acting against the interests of Real Madrid. Tebas alleged that the journalists were echoing the club’s leadership. He also criticised Real Madrid TV’s criticism of refereeing decisions.

“Real Madrid’s management directs an orchestra of mouthpieces and Real Madrid TV leads the singing,” Tebas wrote. He accused the channel of highlighting only incidents that supported Real’s complaints, while overlooking decisions in their favour.

“That method recalls propaganda mechanisms used by Goebbels,” he added. However, he explicitly clarified that the comparison concerned communication methods and not Nazi ideology or Real Madrid supporters.

Real Madrid demand Tebas’ resignation

Real Madrid were furious in their reply. They responded with a five-point statement later, demanding Tebas’ resignation as La Liga president as well as vice-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The club called his remarks “absolutely intolerable and extraordinarily serious.” They also stated that Tebas’ clarification did not diminish the offensive nature of the comparison.

Real Madrid also accused Tebas of repeatedly attacking the club, president Florentino Pérez, and its TV channel. They also rejected his claims that the club orchestrated narratives in the independent press. “Tebas’ repeated conduct demonstrates a lack of neutrality, respect and impartiality,” Real’s statement read. They further stated that Tebas’ conduct was incompatible with his institutional responsibilities.

The club also criticised his handling of the Negreira case, involving Barcelona’s payments to a former senior Spanish refereeing official. Real clarified that they had approached UEFA, seeking a thorough examination of the payments. They also demanded an overhaul of the refereeing system and football’s governing structures.

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Tebas hits back at Real

The La Liga president subsequently responded with another post on X. He accused the club’s leadership of repeatedly seeking his departure during his 13 years in office. Tebas argued that the independence and neutrality required of a league president did not mean remaining silent when Real’s television channel attacked the competition. He further rejected claims that La Liga had been inactive over the Negreira investigation.

Tebas accused Real of seeking to undermine the domestic league and described its campaign against him as “intimidation.” Tebas also challenged Real to publish the number of fixture changes it had requested and how many were approved by the league. Notably, Real’s resignation demand came hours after it was confirmed that the club would retain its seat on the La Liga Delegate Commission, which includes six elected top-flight representatives.

The confrontation follows Real’s demands for new leadership last month, after Tebas dismissed the club’s refereeing complaints as a distraction from its performances. Tebas has headed the competition since 2013 and was re-elected unopposed in 2023. His term ends next year.