Tebas Responds to Real Madrid: Respect for All, Subservience to None

La Liga President Javier Tebas wasted no time in responding to Real Madrid's scathing statement against him, taking to social media with equally sharp remarks. "Defending the interests of one club doesn't mean adopting its narrative; and representing everyone doesn't mean bowing to the strongest," he wrote, addressing Real Madrid's text point by point. Regarding criticisms of referees: "Criticizing a referee's decision is legitimate; turning every setback into proof of persecution is another matter entirely."

Tebas stated that taking a stand against what he deems unfair does not equate to abandoning neutrality, and that the opposite would be a surrender of his "independence." He again highlighted the aggressive tone on Real Madrid TV, the club's official channel: "For years, they've been talking about a tainted league, week after week... Does this build trust or damage the image of Spanish football?" He concluded with six words: "Respect for all; subservience to none."

"I've read the statement. I completely agree with one sentence: the president of La Liga is not the owner of the competition. Neither is the president of Real Madrid. Representing all clubs requires defending equality and fairness among them. This also applies when it's claimed that 'La Liga is worthless' without Real Madrid, or that referees are harming 'the business that feeds them.' Your statement says nothing about these claims, which prompted my response. Now you're hiding behind the fact that I responded to an 'independent' journalist. But neither the narrative is new, nor is the strategy of diverting attention from other issues. You've been doing it for years through Real Madrid TV and through your spokespeople, talking and writing about a tainted league week after week. Don't try to present as an external opinion the discourse you fuel from your own television channel and from the club's official channels. You want me to contribute to building trust in the impartiality of the competition. That's precisely why I reject the notion that referees are biased against Real Madrid.

Criticizing a referee's decision is legitimate. Turning every setback into proof of persecution is another matter. Does this build trust or damage the image of Spanish football? You confuse neutrality with independence. If by neutrality you mean not taking sides on any issue, even between good and evil, you are asking me to abandon my responsibility. Independence requires making decisions with one's own judgment, without pressure or subservience, applying the same rules to everyone and defending the common interest. This includes making decisions and taking a stand, even if Real Madrid doesn't like it. Defending the interests of one club doesn't mean adopting its narrative. And representing everyone doesn't mean bowing to the strongest. The interests of the competition, of La Liga, must be defended. I am not the owner of La Liga, nor will I manage it as if it belongs to only one club. Respect for all. Subservience to none," Tebas wrote.

Earlier, Real Madrid, in a sharply worded statement, criticized Tebas's morning comments. In those comments, Tebas attacked the club and its complaints about refereeing after the derby. He used recurring terms like "the regime's television," referring to Real Madrid TV, and made unequivocal statements: "When it's not Negreira, it's the referee. They should take off their blindfolds! No one with common sense believes this eternal alibi anymore." This occurred in a tweet at seven in the morning. More shots followed: "To claim that referees are biased against Real Madrid is like living in another galaxy; it's more convenient to point to a conspiracy than to explain what's happening on the pitch."

Ten hours later, Real Madrid responded. In five emphatic paragraphs, the club spoke of an "obsession" with them and described the latest statements as "serious and incomprehensible; unworthy of a responsible leader." In this context, the door was opened for change: "We understand that the competition urgently needs a leader capable of administering it and developing its full potential with the elementary obligation of neutrality." This is one of the words that most affected Tebas. The club stated that his behavior "damages the image of Spanish football." This is another chapter in a long-broken relationship. Shattered into pieces.