Real Madrid has called on LaLiga president Javier Tebas to step down, following remarks in which he likened the messaging put out by the club's hierarchy to propaganda techniques associated with the Nazi Party.
In a social media post, Tebas put forward the view that Real Madrid's leadership coordinates a network of outlets that amplify its positions, with Real Madrid TV at the centre of that effort. His remarks came in response to published pieces by two journalists who had characterised both him and LaLiga as working at odds with Madrid's interests. Tebas contended that writers at El Debate were carrying a message on behalf of Madrid's leadership. El Debate has been contacted for comment by a news outlet.
Real Madrid's demand that Tebas vacate his position has deepened the divide between the club and the LaLiga presidency. The dispute escalated after the governing body's president characterised the club's complaints about refereeing as a deflection from its own results on the pitch.
In a written statement issued on Friday, Tebas took issue with the editorial approach of Real Madrid TV, contending that the channel selectively assembles footage of refereeing decisions at the club's matches in a way that entrenches grievances, cultivates suspicion, and channels blame toward those it treats as adversaries — a pattern he likened to the propaganda techniques associated with Joseph Goebbels, who held the post of Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany. He went on to clarify that the parallel being drawn targets those propaganda methods specifically, and does not extend to any ideology or, needless to say, to supporters of Real Madrid.
A formal written notice published by Real Madrid on Saturday called for Tebas to step down from his dual roles heading LaLiga and serving as vice-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The club's published response described Tebas's invocation of Nazi propaganda methods as wholly unacceptable, arguing that drawing such a comparison to undermine the organisation, its leadership, and its broadcasting operation crossed a clear line. The document further maintained that his pattern of behaviour showed a fundamental absence of the neutrality and impartiality his position demands, and took particular issue with his alleged practice of citing outside journalists' views to pin responsibility on the club for actions carried out by others — a charge the statement flatly rejected.
Tebas, aged 64 and chosen by the 42 professional clubs across Spain's top two divisions, has held the LaLiga presidency since 2013. A fresh mandate carrying him through to 2027 was secured during the 2023 vote, with no challenger standing against him.
The club's public response arrived within hours of LaLiga's announcement that Real Madrid would hold a place on the league's governing executive committee for the upcoming season.
