THE FLORENTINO PEREZ PROBLEM: WHY JAVIER TEBAS CLAIMS REAL MADRID IS DESTROYING SPANISH FOOTBALL
Javier Tebas has gone all-in on Real Madrid! Read the La Liga president's explosive comments on Florentino Perez and the CVC deal.
The feud between La Liga president Javier Tebas and Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez isn’t showing any signs of ending. This week, Tebas took the stage at the Europa Press Sports Breakfast and, instead of talking about the game itself, went straight after the Real Madrid leadership. He defended La Liga’s choices and zeroed in on Perez’s role in all the recent drama.
Everyone’s been talking about Real Madrid’s split from Xabi Alonso, but Tebas thinks there’s a bigger problem hanging over Spanish football.
So, what’s the real issue? Right away, Tebas shot down criticism over the league’s deal with CVC. He said Madrid’s legal push against it just twists reality.
“La Liga didn’t try to take anything from Real Madrid or win in court for the other clubs. We spoke with many club presidents, and it was all explained clearly.
“The clubs’ ownership was never at risk. Everyone got the facts; everything else is just noise.
“The real problem has always been Real Madrid. If we don’t wake up, they’ll end up destroying Spanish football, just like what’s happening elsewhere in Europe,” Tebas said.
Then he moved on to why the CVC deal even matters. According to him, it’s been key for updating stadiums and boosting both attendance and revenue across Spain.
“You’ve got to understand the CVC plan—it’s directly tied to the list of stadiums getting renovated, which means more fans and more money.”
And Tebas didn’t just stick to recent fights. He brought up old scandals, comparing the current Negreira case to earlier match-fixing problems and calling out Madrid for staying quiet back then.
“Florentino once called the Negreira case the worst thing to hit Spanish football. But honestly, he’s wrong. The worst was the match-buying between 2008 and 2013. Teams are paid to stay in the league.
“That was the real scandal. And what did Florentino do? He looked the other way.
“In 2010, there was a wiretapped call with the Hercules president—match-buying came up. Who ignored it? Who didn’t back an investigation? Real Madrid,” Tebas said, not holding back.
Back on the Negreira case, Tebas argued that La Liga is leading the charge for accountability—not Madrid. He pushed back against anyone trying to link today’s refereeing to that scandal.
“The Negreira case is serious, and it’s being prosecuted. Not by Real Madrid, but by the prosecutor.
“They haven’t proven anyone bought referees, but it’s clear money went to the vice president of the referees. That’s bad enough. The case has to go on, and Barcelona has every right to defend itself,” he said.
Finally, Tebas talked about the fallout between Perez and Barcelona’s Joan Laporta. He brushed it off, saying he didn’t care if they were not on speaking terms. For him, it’s all about power games in Spanish football.
“I don’t lose sleep over Florentino and Laporta breaking off relations. If it’s because of the Super League, that’s fine by me,” Tebas said.
Then he pointed out what he sees as obvious pressure tactics. “Funny how, right after Barcelona left the Super League, Madrid hit them with a legal attack. Before that, relations were fine. What’s that called? That’s coercion. As long as you’re with me, I keep quiet; if you’re not, I go after you.
“That’s a classic move. Those clubs are trying to tear down La Liga and its president,” he said, wrapping things up.
FUTURE CORE: HOW JOAO NEVES AND VITINHA COULD REBUILD REAL MADRID’S MIDFIELD
Real Madrid eye Joao Neves: Read about the €160m PSG raid, Vitinha’s €100m clause, and the shock Courtois news regarding Trent.
Real Madrid aren’t just eyeing Vitinha from PSG anymore; they’re now interested in bringing in his teammate Joao Neves as well. That’s according to a new report, which also says that Madrid hasn't lost sight of Rodri from Manchester City, even if that deal looks tough.
Madrid has been after Vitinha for a while. He’s the kind of midfielder who can dictate play and control the game from the centre. Lately, Spanish media have been buzzing about Madrid getting ready to make a huge offer of around €100 million for him. Supposedly, Vitinha has a private agreement that lets him leave PSG if someone puts that kind of money on the table.
But now, Sports Boom claims Madrid have set their sights on Neves, too. Apparently, the club sees him as the missing piece in their plan to rebuild the midfield. Scouts have already told the board that he’s a must-sign. Now, it’s up to Florentino Pérez to figure out if Madrid will go all-in.
It won’t be easy, though. PSG just won the league and the Champions League; they’re not looking to part ways with Neves. If Madrid wants him, they’ll need to cough up somewhere between €150 and €160 million. Neves only joined PSG from Benfica last summer, and he’s under contract until 2029.
He’s already made an impact: 13 goals and 12 assists in 83 games for PSG. This season alone, the 21-year-old has started 11 times in Ligue 1 and six times in the Champions League.
Switching gears, Real Madrid is also keeping an eye on Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace, according to Fraser Fletcher, their transfer correspondent. And Liverpool? They’re apparently preparing a massive bid for one of Madrid’s own rising stars, but there’s no word yet if Madrid will actually let him go.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any wilder, a Spanish report claims Thibaut Courtois wants Madrid to move on from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who just arrived from Liverpool in 2025. The drama never really stops at the Bernabéu.
THE ARBELOA STANCE: WHY REAL MADRID’S COACH DEMANDS A HISTORIC PRECEDENT FOR VINICIUS JR
Action needed: Discover why Alvaro Arbeloa is challenging UEFA to punish Gianluca Prestianni and support Vinicius Jr. in Madrid.
Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa wants to see UEFA back up its anti-racism talk with real action after forward Vinicius Jr said he was racially abused during last week’s Champions League match in Lisbon.
The incident happened during the first leg of the knockout round against Benfica. Vinicius, who scored the game’s only goal, says Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni targeted him with racist abuse soon after he found the net.
Prestianni, a 20-year-old winger from Argentina, denies it. Still, UEFA hit him with a one-game provisional suspension, so he’ll miss the return leg in Madrid on Wednesday.
“This is a big chance to actually move the fight against racism forward,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday. “UEFA’s always talked a good game about this issue, but now they can show they mean it. I hope they don’t just stick to slogans and banners this time.”
Vinicius, 25, picked up a yellow card for celebrating his goal in front of Benfica’s fans. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho later accused him of being disrespectful and stirring up the crowd.
But Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois pushed back. He said Vinicius’s celebration was nothing out of the ordinary and that it never justifies racist abuse.
“Mourinho’s going to defend his club and his player; that’s normal,” Courtois said. “What bothers me is blaming Vini’s celebration. He didn’t do anything wrong. Opponents celebrate in front of us all the time, especially when they score. It happens, and we move on. There’s no excuse for racism, period.”
Arbeloa called Vinicius a “fighter” and said he’s sure the Brazilian will prove himself on the pitch at the Bernabeu.
“Vini Junior has always had guts and personality,” Arbeloa said. “Honestly, I don’t know how anyone else would handle what he’s faced. He’s always stood tall, and that’s just how he is. He’ll show up tomorrow ready to fight, ready to show he’s one of the world’s best.”
The first match was stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius told the referee what happened, and Real Madrid’s players walked off the field for a bit. There were also reports of racist gestures from fans in the stands at Benfica’s stadium. UEFA says Prestianni could face more punishment once their ethics inspector finishes a full investigation.
On the Benfica side, club president Rui Costa stood by Prestianni and confirmed they’re appealing the suspension.
“I wasn’t on the pitch to hear what was said, but you can imagine how heated things get,” Costa told reporters at Lisbon airport. “We trust our player. He’s being labelled a racist, and I can promise you he’s nothing of the sort. That's why we have faith in him.”
Mourinho, who’s been criticised for his comments, won’t speak at the usual pre-match press conference.
Costa added, “We’ve appealed because nothing’s been proven, so there’s no real reason Prestianni should miss this game.”
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