Real Madrid Club de Fútbol today issued a strongly worded official statement demanding the immediate resignation of Javier Tebas as president of LaLiga and vice-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The demand follows comments made by Tebas on the social media platform X earlier today, in which he compared the communication methods of Real Madrid’s leadership and its official television channel, Real Madrid TV, to the propaganda techniques of Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda of the Nazi regime.
In his post, Tebas stated that the methods used by Real Madrid TV “are reminiscent of the mechanisms of Goebbels’ propaganda,” while claiming the comparison referred only to techniques and not to ideology or Real Madrid supporters.
Real Madrid described the remarks as “absolutely intolerable and extraordinarily serious.” The club’s statement read in part:
“Real Madrid C.F. considers it absolutely intolerable and extraordinarily serious that someone holding two positions of utmost responsibility in Spanish football resorts to a comparison with the propaganda methods of the Nazi regime to discredit our club, its management, and its television. The clarification that he is not referring to Nazi ideology does not mitigate the deeply offensive, morally repugnant, and institutionally unworthy nature of his statements.”
The club further accused Tebas of a pattern of repeated attacks that demonstrate “a lack of neutrality, respect, and impartiality incompatible with his institutional responsibilities.” Real Madrid argued that such conduct would be unacceptable in any European sports institution governed by principles of respect, neutrality, and integrity, and that it disqualifies Tebas from continuing in his roles.
The statement also linked the controversy to the long-running Negreira case involving alleged payments by FC Barcelona to a former vice-president of the referees’ technical committee.
Real Madrid said it had been forced to approach UEFA directly for a full investigation due to what it views as insufficient action by the institutions in which Tebas holds senior positions. The club reiterated its call for a comprehensive overhaul of Spain’s refereeing system and related federative structures.
“Consequently, Real Madrid C.F. demands his immediate resignation as president of LaLiga and vice president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation,” the statement concluded. “Real Madrid C.F. will continue to defend its rights, its institutional prestige, the full clarification of the Negreira case, and the necessary regeneration of Spanish football.”
This latest confrontation marks a significant escalation in the longstanding tensions between Real Madrid and LaLiga’s leadership.
