La Liga president Javier Tebas refused to apologize for drawing comparison between the communication strategy of Real Madrid and the “propaganda techniques” employed by Nazi Germany.
Last week, Tebas hit out at Real Madrid for aping the approach of Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels by pushing claims of bias against the club through the media.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing Negreira case, Madrid, its in-house media channel and various sympathetic media sources have been particularly vocal on refereeing decisions, unfavorable scheduling and more so far this season, provoking Tebas—a long-time adversary of Florentino Pérez and Los Blancos’s higher-ups—into an eyebrow-raising statement.
Part of the 64-year-old’s social media post read: “Real Madrid's management directs an orchestra of mouthpieces and Real Madrid TV leads the singing. Their score is always the same: select the plays that suit them, repeat the grievance, feed the suspicion, and point fingers at the enemies.
“That method recalls propaganda mechanisms exploited by Goebbels, Nazi Germany's Minister of Propaganda: systematic repetition, construction of an enemy, and subordination of facts to the narrative. The comparison is with those propaganda techniques, not with an ideology or, of course, with the Madridista fanbase.”
Real Madrid hit back with their own statement that described Tebas’s choice of words as “morally repugnant”, while ending with a demand for the president’s resignation. Shortly after, the war of words continued with Tebas posting again on social media, accusing Madrid of trying to “destroy” La Liga.
‘What Others Have Done’—Tebas Stands His Ground
Tebas refused to express regret for his outrage-provoking comments, insisting he did not call anyone a Nazi.
“I simply did what others have done—Spanish politicians and those from other countries in the context of public debate, as well as journalists, and even [Former Vice-President of the European Commission] Josep Borrell when he discussed Putin’s communication strategy,” Tebas told L’Equipe.
“I simply did the same thing. Nothing more. I didn’t call anyone a Nazi, of course. I was talking about a communication strategy. I don’t see why I’m being questioned about it.”
Asked whether he was now fearful of losing his job over the remarks, Tebas remained unfazed.
“Look, I've lost count of the number of times they've tried to oust or sanction me,” he replied. “I think it's impossible. I'm not talking about the substance of the matter here, but rather the way they communicate.”
Tebas Reveals Ballon d’Or Pick
Elsewhere in the interview, the La Liga chief revealed his pick for the Ballon d’Or, which is set to be awarded on Oct. 26. They were comments unlikely to be ignored in Madrid.
Asked whether Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé would be a worthy winner of soccer’s highest individual honor, Tebas admitted he would personally prefer to see it go to Barcelona’s Rodri, who was Spain’s World Cup-winning captain.
“I'd like Rodri to repeat his feat, but if Mbappé won the Ballon d'Or, I wouldn't mind. It's very close,” he said. “But if Mbappé wins, I wouldn't be surprised, and I think it would be a well-deserved title.”
He added: “Mbappé is one of the best players in the world. He's a global star, a phenomenal player who contributes enormously to his team and to the league in general.”
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