Javier Tebas Takes Another Shot at Real Madrid and Florentino Pérez
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has once again criticised Real Madrid and club president Florentino Pérez, this time during the First National Conference on Journalism and Sport in Galicia.
Tebas described Real Madrid as “the most rebellious team in Spain”, arguing that the club has a different vision of how football should be organised and governed.
His comments also touched on the controversial European Super League project, which he believes could be gradually returning in another form.
Tebas Warns of a New Super League Threat
Tebas argued that although the original Super League project was effectively stopped, another version could be developing slowly behind the scenes.
“He stopped the Super League, as Florentino wanted, but another Super League is being put in place, slowly. If we do not react, we will have a two-speed football system.”
The LaLiga chief's concern is that European football could increasingly become divided between the continent’s wealthiest and most powerful clubs and the rest of the football pyramid.
For Tebas, maintaining competitive balance means ensuring that clubs of different sizes can continue to coexist within the same structure.
‘We Need the Locomotives and the Wagons’
Tebas defended the current European football model and argued that the growth of Spanish football over the past two decades should not be placed at risk.
“We have built exceptional football over 20 years, and we must defend it. We cannot let it escape us.”
He used an unusual railway comparison to explain his position, describing Real Madrid and Barcelona as the “locomotives” of the system while stressing that smaller clubs also have an important role.
“In this train there are locomotives, such as Real Madrid or Barça, but we also need wagons.”
The comments underline Tebas’ argument that the biggest clubs can drive the commercial growth of football while the wider league structure remains essential to the sport’s sustainability.
Tebas Defends LaLiga’s Television Model
The LaLiga president also defended the league’s existing approach to distributing television revenue.
The issue remains particularly important given the financial differences between clubs competing at the highest level of Spanish football.
Tebas has consistently argued in favour of the current system, which seeks to maintain a degree of competitive balance rather than allowing the biggest clubs to retain the overwhelming majority of broadcast income.
He also declined to comment on ticket prices for the upcoming Clasico, pointing out that decisions regarding ticket pricing ultimately fall within the responsibility of the clubs.
Another Chapter in the LaLiga–Real Madrid Dispute
Tebas’ latest comments add another chapter to the long-running disagreements between LaLiga and Real Madrid.
The relationship has frequently been strained by disputes over the league's financial regulations, broadcasting model and the proposed Super League.
While Real Madrid and Florentino Pérez have repeatedly pushed for changes to the European football landscape, Tebas continues to defend the existing structure and warn against a system that could create an increasingly divided football pyramid.
With Barcelona and Real Madrid remaining two of European football’s biggest commercial forces, the debate over how the sport should be governed—and how its wealth should be distributed—is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
The latest remarks from Tebas show that the battle over the future structure of European football remains very much alive.