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"Here we go again," La Liga president Javier Tebas wrote at the start of his latest blistering attack on Real Madrid.
The opening perfectly captures what it feels like to watch the La Liga president repeatedly engage in a public, bitter, exhausting feud with Spain's most powerful club. The growing reaction to this long-running conflict is much like a weary child rolling their eyes at the dinner table while their divorced parents bicker.
"Here we go again."
The animosity between the two parties is well-established. Countless versions of the exact same dispute have played out over the years. Real Madrid accuse La Liga of corruption. Club president Florentino Pérez insists Tebas is unqualified to lead. Real Madrid TV assembles footage of refereeing calls they believe were deliberately made against the club.
Tebas steps in front of a camera or reaches for his keyboard and fires back with fierce contempt. He labels Real Madrid delusional, entitled, and petty. He accuses the club of demanding preferential treatment. He stands firmly behind his referees and takes aim at Pérez in the process.
It's a never-ending cycle, one that reignited after Los Blancos fell 2–1 to Atlético Madrid on Sunday.
Tebas Responds to Real Madrid's Derby Tirade
Less than an hour had passed after the final whistle at the Metropolitano before Real Madrid released a statement blaming "dreadful" officiating for their loss. The club pointed to two first-half incidents—Cristian Romero treading on Jude Bellingham's knee and Kang In-lee driving his studs into Federico Valverde's ankle—which it argued warranted red cards.
Neither Atlético Madrid player was dismissed, prompting José Mourinho to arrive at his post-match press conference armed with printed photographs of both challenges, calling out referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and VAR official Daniel Jesús Trujillo Suárez. The manager did not contest Dean Huijsen's red card.
Tebas waited two days before taking to social media to lambaste Real Madrid for "spinning the same tired narrative." He accused Los Blancos of "living on another planet" with their repeated claims of a refereeing conspiracy and urged them to "remove the blinders."
Ironically, the very next day, Spain's Technical Committee of Referees officially confirmed that Lee should indeed have been sent off during the Madrid derby.
Real Madrid Trade Blows With Tebas
Real Madrid were never going to let Tebas's social media outburst go unanswered. The club quickly issued its own statement, describing it as "intolerable" and "alarming" that the La Liga president is "fixated on targeting" Real Madrid.
"It is truly astonishing that the president of La Liga uses his time and personal platforms to relentlessly attempt to publicly undermine Real Madrid, rather than using the authority of his position to build confidence in the institutions responsible for ensuring fair competition," the club added.
The 15-time European champions concluded their statement by calling for a change in La Liga leadership.
The back-and-forth then returned to Tebas, who launched another broadside on social media. The president maintained that "the interests of the competition, of La Liga, must be protected." He stressed that representing every club "does not mean bowing to the most powerful."
He closed his post with this declaration: "I am neither the owner of La Liga nor will I run it as though it belongs to a single club. Respect for all. Submission to none."
The Biggest Loser Is Spanish Soccer
Perhaps the feud between Real Madrid and Tebas was captivating at one point. Watching the two most influential forces in La Liga exchange sharp words and public jabs felt like tuning into a new episode of a hit reality show.
But there comes a moment when the war of words becomes nothing more than background noise. The same arguments are recycled endlessly. The same absence of accountability persists on both sides. The same ... everything.
It reduces La Liga to a circus, clouded by relentless conspiracies, controversies, and vicious attacks. People have likely seen more of Real Madrid TV's highlight reels and Tebas's rants than actual league matches in recent years.
"He continues to harm the reputation of our competition and Spanish football on the global stage," Real Madrid wrote of Tebas.
Yet both sides are equally responsible for turning an elite competition into a farce. Real Madrid have legitimate complaints about refereeing decisions, just as Tebas has valid concerns about the club overreaching. But rather than seeking solutions, both parties simply rehash the same grievances with no desire to ever move on.
"Turning every setback into evidence of persecution is something else entirely," Tebas wrote. "Does that build trust or damage the image of Spanish football?"
Ultimately, when both of La Liga's most powerful forces bicker like schoolchildren and divert attention away from the sport itself, it is they who are truly damaging the image of Spanish football.