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La Liga president Javier Tebas declined to walk back his remarks comparing Real Madrid's media strategy to the "propaganda techniques" used by Nazi Germany.
Last week, Tebas lashed out at Real Madrid for mirroring the tactics of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels by amplifying claims of bias against the club through various media outlets.
Set against the ongoing Negreira case, Madrid, its official media channel, and several allied media outlets have been especially outspoken about refereeing decisions, unfavorable fixture scheduling, and other grievances this season, prompting Tebas—a longtime opponent of Florentino Pérez and the club's leadership—to make a controversial statement.
Part of the 64-year-old's social media post read: "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. The comparison is with those propaganda techniques, not with an ideology or, of course, with the Madridista fanbase."
Real Madrid responded with a statement of their own, labeling Tebas's choice of words as "morally repugnant" and calling for his resignation. The war of words escalated shortly after, with Tebas taking to social media once more to accuse Madrid of attempting to "destroy" La Liga.
'What Others Have Done'—Tebas Stands His Ground
Tebas showed no remorse for his inflammatory remarks, maintaining that he never called anyone a Nazi.
"I simply did what others have done—Spanish politicians and those from other countries in the context of public debate, as well as journalists, and even [Former Vice-President of the European Commission] Josep Borrell when he discussed Putin's communication strategy," Tebas told L'Equipe.
"I simply did the same thing. Nothing more. I didn't call anyone a Nazi, of course. I was talking about a communication strategy. I don't see why I'm being questioned about it."
When asked if he feared losing his position over the controversy, Tebas appeared completely untroubled.
"Look, I've lost count of the number of times they've tried to oust or sanction me," he replied. "I think it's impossible. I'm not talking about the substance of the matter here, but rather the way they communicate."
Tebas Reveals Ballon d'Or Pick
Elsewhere in the interview, the La Liga chief shared his preference for the Ballon d'Or, scheduled to be presented on Oct. 26—comments that were unlikely to go unnoticed in Madrid.
When asked whether Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé deserved to claim football's most prestigious individual award, Tebas admitted he would personally favor Barcelona's Rodri, Spain's World Cup-winning captain.
"I'd like Rodri to repeat his feat, but if Mbappé won the Ballon d'Or, I wouldn't mind. It's very close," he said. "But if Mbappé wins, I wouldn't be surprised, and I think it would be a well-deserved title."
He added: "Mbappé is one of the best players in the world. He's a global star, a phenomenal player who contributes enormously to his team and to the league in general."