Real Madrid have demanded Javier Tebas’s immediate resignation as LaLiga president and vice-president of the Spanish football federation after he compared the club’s messaging to techniques used by Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.
“The repeated conduct of Javier Tebas shows a lack of neutrality, respect and impartiality incompatible with his institutional responsibilities,” Madrid said in a statement.
“Real Madrid CF considers it absolutely intolerable and extraordinarily serious that someone who occupies two positions of utmost responsibility in Spanish football should resort to a comparison with the propaganda methods of the Nazi regime to discredit our club, its management and its television.”
The statement followed an X post on Friday in which Tebas accused journalists of acting as the club’s “official mouthpiece”.
“Real Madrid’s management directs an orchestra of mouthpieces and Real Madrid TV leads the singing,” Tebas wrote.
“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: systematic repetition, construction of an enemy, and subordination of facts to the narrative.”
Tebas said his comparison did not extend to Nazi ideology or Madrid supporters.
“The comparison is with those propaganda techniques, not with an ideology or, of course, with the Madridista fanbase.”
Madrid rejected that distinction.
“The clarification that he is not referring to Nazi ideology does not mitigate the deeply offensive, morally repugnant, and institutionally unworthy nature of his statements.”
The club, which has repeatedly clashed with Tebas, accused him of failing to meet the standards required of his positions.
“His constant attacks on Real Madrid and those who demand transparency and regeneration constitute, in the opinion of our club, a real scourge for Spanish football.”
Madrid also described Tebas’s reference to the Negreira case as “especially concerning”. The club have submitted a dossier to UEFA about the case, which concerns Barcelona’s payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ technical committee.
Barcelona maintain that the payments were for scouting and technical reports on officials. Allegations that the payments were intended to influence refereeing are disputed by the club.
Madrid accused Tebas of focusing on criticism of them rather than seeking answers over the payments.
“It is particularly significant that Javier Tebas… dedicates his efforts to discrediting Real Madrid instead of promoting, from his institutional responsibilities, the clarification of these very serious facts and the necessary regeneration of Spanish football.”