Real Madrid demand Javier Tebas step down as LaLiga president in scathing statement

Real Madrid escalated their ongoing conflict with LaLiga president Javier Tebas on Monday, releasing an official statement calling for him to step down and accusing him of using his position to repeatedly target the club.

The statement came in direct response to comments Tebas made on his personal account on X, where he dismissed claims that referees have been directed against Real Madrid.

The dispute traces back to Real Madrid’s controversial 2-1 loss to Atlético Madrid in Sunday’s derby at the Metropolitano, after which José Mourinho and the club voiced strong criticism of the officiating, arguing that at least one Atlético player should have been sent off.

Tebas responded publicly, writing that claiming referees are “directed against Real Madrid is living in another galaxy,” and adding that a refereeing mistake doesn’t prove the existence of a conspiracy.

Real Madrid didn’t let that comment go unanswered. In their statement, they called it “particularly serious and incomprehensible” that Tebas would weigh in on their “sporting strategy” in response to an article by an independent journalist, calling the intervention inappropriate and irresponsible for someone in his position.

Real Madrid closed their statement by arguing that Spanish football “urgently” needs new leadership at LaLiga, one capable of managing the competition with neutrality.

Real Madrid’s full statement

“In light of the statements made by LaLiga President Javier Tebas Medrano, Real Madrid C.F. wishes to state the following:

Our club considers it intolerable for the LaLiga President to use his institutional position to repeatedly disparage and attack Real Madrid in the manner he does in every one of his public statements. It is deeply concerning that the person responsible for representing and protecting the interests of all LaLiga clubs remains obsessively fixated on Real Madrid, making our club a constant target of his public attacks.

His latest intervention is particularly serious and incomprehensible—unbecoming of a responsible administrator—as it involves commenting on an article by an independent journalist in a digital media outlet. Yet, he reacts against our club by taking the liberty of critiquing our sporting strategy—an utterly absurd and irresponsible move.

It is astonishing that the LaLiga President devotes his time and personal channels to publicly discrediting Real Madrid, rather than using his position to foster trust in the institutions charged with guaranteeing the competition’s impartiality. In doing so, he continues to damage the image of our competition and of Spanish football worldwide.

Given this persistent and inappropriate behavior, we believe that professional football in Spain urgently needs a leader capable of managing the competition and unlocking its full potential while upholding the fundamental duty of neutrality. It needs someone who understands the nature of the role; the LaLiga President is not the owner of the competition, but an administrator serving the clubs that comprise it and have entrusted him with its leadership. We, the clubs, need someone who will honestly serve this mission”.