August 22 – Outspoken La Liga president Javier Tebas is back on the offensive in his war of words with the Spanish FA, accusing the federation led by Luis Rubiales of having a “prehistoric vision of our sport.”
The two organisations have been at loggerheads over a number of issues, most recently over playing La Liga games on Friday and Monday nights.
“Mainly they are questions of competition and power,” Tebas told France Football. “The new leaders do not understand how the current industry works and the needs of investors, who demand growth and want to see that their assets generate value.
“They (the Spanish FA) have a prehistoric vision of our sport.”
Tebas also addressed ongoing talks between UEFA, the clubs and leagues to revamp the Champions League from 2024 which critics claim will be the closest thing yet to a European Super League.
“We must try to stop this madness of reform …because all the work done in recent years would be seriously affected,” he said. “They would have enormous economic power.”
“It was a decision taken without thought or consultation; those who conjured up the idea didn’t think about how it would impact the European football industry.
“Of course there are things to improve with the domestic championships, but in general the system doesn’t work badly, and changing the formats of the Champions League and Europa League will not solve these problems.”
Tebas takes credit for the shake-up of television rights in the years since he came to power.
“Previously, LaLiga’s television rights were worth €800 million. Now it’s €2.3 billion,” he said. “Everyone wins, especially the LaLiga brand. This increases the attractiveness of our championship, and therefore the investments grow too.”
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