La Liga President Javier Tebas spoke out on Tuesday against claims of 'conspiracy' in refereeing, which he believes were put forward by Real Madrid after their defeat in the derby against Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho presented two printed screenshots at the post-match press conference, which, in his opinion, demonstrated fouls leading to red cards by Atletico players.
Tebas responded to an article supporting 'Real' on social media, providing a detailed rebuttal to the allegations of a 'conspiracy' against the fifteen-time European champions.
Tebas stated: 'Here they are again, the mouthpieces and the television regime, creating the same old narrative—constant conspiracy.' He also noted that he often disagreed with Real Madrid and the outspoken club president Florentino Perez.
The La Liga President criticized the article which claimed that referees were damaging 'the business that feeds them.' Tebas questioned what exactly was meant by this: refereeing based on income, viewership, or club badge, calling it a strange understanding of competitive equality.
He emphasized the importance of 'Real Madrid' to La Liga but added that the assertion that 'La Liga is worthless' without them demonstrates disregard for other clubs, their fans, and history. Tebas concluded that the competition belongs to no one.
Adding that the accusations that referees are biased against 'Real Madrid' are 'living in another galaxy,' Tebas continued that such a narrative serves as an excuse to conceal obvious shortcomings in the early matches of the season. According to him, 'it is much easier to point to a conspiracy than to explain what is happening on the field.'
Mourinho returned to the head coach position at the Santiago Bernabeu during the preseason with the goal of ending a two-year period without a major trophy. Currently, Madrid has started the season with difficulties and trails the reigning champion and early league leader Barcelona by six points in the La Liga table.