La Liga president Javier Tebas has publicly accused Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez of adopting a “messianic, supremacist” tone, intensifying a long-running power struggle over the future of Spanish football.
Tebas’s comments came in response to controversial statements Pérez made at Real Madrid’s General Assembly on Sunday. Pérez had criticized the league’s governance and financial strategies.
Tebas expressed his “indignation” through multiple posts on the social media platform X.
“Florentino is back on the pulpit,” Tebas wrote. He reminded that Pérez, in 2021, had warned that football was “seriously economically ill” and that only his proposed Superliga could save it.
“Today he speaks again against all institutions, also against La Liga, in a clearly messianic, sectarian, supremacist tone and as the sole owner of the truth,” Tebas added.
Pérez’s remarks also included accusations that rival club Barcelona benefits consistently from refereeing decisions, referencing the ongoing ‘Negreira Case’.
The Real Madrid president further criticized La Liga for its efforts to promote league games abroad. He specifically mentioned a Barcelona-Villarreal match that was initially planned for Miami but was later cancelled.
Tebas also used his platform to counter Pérez’s accusations regarding this proposed Miami fixture. He assured that no team involved would have received an “extra monetary injection,” as Pérez had suggested.
The La Liga president explained that the Miami game project was part of joint-venture agreements with Relevent, a sports and entertainment company. These agreements were unanimously approved by a Delegated Commission in 2018.
He clarified that the strategic direction of these agreements was explained and approved by La Liga’s governing body. The agreements were public, and Real Madrid never challenged them.
Tebas emphasized that the La Liga Assembly does not have the authority to reject a request from two clubs to play an official game outside of Spain, citing league statutes.
He noted that FIFA, not La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), UEFA, or Real Madrid, has the competence to decide if an international match “distorts” a competition, according to international rules. Requests for the Miami game were made to FIFA, and the decision was pending.
Villarreal would only have received compensation for their fans’ travel expenses, while Barcelona received no payment to play in the proposed match.
Miami Game: facts, not stories Many things have been said about the Miami game… and almost none are accurate. •The Miami game project is part of the agreements with the joint venture with Relevent, unanimously approved by a Delegated Commission of… pic.twitter.com/Nr3IepcNYp
— Javier Tebas Medrano (@Tebasjavier) November 23, 2025