There are still five matches left to decide La Liga. Barcelona are 11 points ahead of Real Madrid with everything going their way. That has raised the possibility of a guard of honor, as El Clásico is coming soon. La Liga president Javier Tebas addressed the topic during a public event.
Tebas said: “The rules don’t say anything about the guard of honor; it’s a tradition and traditions depend on the clubs. There isn’t a rule that establishes it. Tradition says you should do it for the champion, but it must be decided by the players and the club, Real Madrid. But there aren’t champions yet. You are saying it too soon.”
That is something to keep an eye on, with the two giants set to meet on May 10. The title could be decided this weekend if Barcelona beat Osasuna and Real Madrid fail to beat Espanyol. If that does not happen, the champions could be decided when they meet in Barcelona.
Tebas on criticism from Real Madrid
At the Red de Ciudades de La Liga event, held at the headquarters of the Federación de Municipios y Provincias, Tebas also addressed criticism from Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez.
Pérez often criticizes La Liga president (David Ramos/Getty Images)
This difference in views has been going on for years, with Pérez presenting his club as the victim in some situations while the league president has responded with blunt comments of his own.
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Tebas said: “I’m not surprised by Real Madrid. They don’t like anything that involves coordinated action from all the clubs as a group. That’s not how they view professional soccer. Real Madrid don’t share that concept. I’ve heard their president say many times that La Liga is Real Madrid with 19 other teams.”
Tebas on racism
The La Liga president said the goal of the meeting was to fight racism, as there have been many recent incidents, including fans and players from the national team being affected by it.
Tebas said: “The goal was to prevent this type of chants and behavior that exist in society and in sport. With this alliance between the cities that have professional soccer, we can create many strategies that will help us reduce this.”
