Real Madrid Demands La Liga President Resign Over Nazi Propaganda Comparison

Real Madrid has called for the resignation of La Liga president Javier Tebas after he compared the club's media strategy to that of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. Tebas had accused select journalists of acting as an 'official mouthpiece' for the club, suggesting they were promoting views of high-ranking Real Madrid officials and creating a narrative that casts the Spanish giants as victims of referees and La Liga's decisions.

In a social media post, Tebas stated, "Real Madrid's management directs an orchestra of mouthpieces and Real Madrid TV leads the singing. 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, Nazi Germany's Minister of Propaganda: systematic repetition, construction of an enemy, and subordination of facts to the narrative."

He further clarified that the comparison was with propaganda techniques, not with an ideology or the Real Madrid fanbase, and highlighted Real Madrid TV as a central piece of this perceived machinery. Tebas questioned the absence of full match analysis for every round of games and analysis of errors that might favor Real Madrid.

Real Madrid responded with a lengthy statement, declaring Tebas's reference to Goebbels as "deeply offensive" and "morally repugnant." The club asserted that Tebas's conduct shows a "lack of neutrality, respect and impartiality incompatible with his institutional responsibilities." A statement from Real Madrid read, "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 club also stated that Tebas's constant attacks on Real Madrid and those demanding transparency constitute a "real scourge for Spanish football." Consequently, Real Madrid demanded his "immediate resignation as president of LaLiga and vice president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation."

The club found it "especially concerning" that Tebas's post referenced the ongoing Negreira case. Earlier in the month, Real Madrid sent 50,000 pages of evidence to European football's governing body UEFA, accusing rivals Barcelona of making illicit payments to an influential referees' chief. The allegations suggest Barcelona paid over £7 million in payments across 17 years to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who served as vice president of Spain's technical committee of referees. Barcelona has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the payments were for scouting and technical reports.

La Liga stated it was unable to investigate due to the time elapsed, but UEFA has launched an ongoing investigation. Real Madrid and Tebas have a history of public disagreements, with the club having recently complained about refereeing decisions and Tebas accusing them of creating a "permanent conspiracy" about officiating.

Responding to Real Madrid's demand for his resignation, Tebas criticized "Real Madrid TV and its lapdogs," claiming the club aims to destroy La Liga. He stated that he has lost count of the times Real Madrid's leaders have demanded his resignation or attempted to disqualify him. Tebas argued that his position demands independence, not passivity in the face of injustice or silence against "continuous, disproportionate, and insulting attacks from Real Madrid TV and its lapdogs on our competition."