La Liga Chief Fires Back at Real Madrid: "We Can't Ignore This Any Longer"

La Liga chief Javier Tebas has stood by the league's controversial proposal to hold Barcelona's domestic match against Villarreal in Miami, launching a scathing attack on Real Madrid's past conduct regarding sporting integrity.

The Madrid club has openly criticized the idea of staging La Liga games on foreign soil. Following official backing for such an arrangement—which remains theoretical at present—Real Madrid issued a statement arguing that this decision "breaches the fundamental principle of territorial reciprocity" that underpins La Liga.

Playing Villarreal in Miami's neutral venue instead of at the Estadio de la Cerámica would give Barcelona an "unfair competitive edge," Real Madrid contended.

Tebas, known for his direct approach, dismissed these concerns entirely. "The Miami fixture doesn't manipulate anything. We're discussing a matter of 'integrity,'" the league president told RNE.

The administrator's response quickly turned to highlighting instances where Real Madrid have exploited regulations to their benefit while staying within legal boundaries. Most notably, Franco Mastantuono was unexpectedly given jersey number 30 to indicate his formal reserve-team status despite the €45 million ($52.7 million) summer signing being earmarked for Xabi Alonso's first-team squad.

"First-division clubs are limited to 25 players, yet Real Madrid have assigned [number] 30, with reserve team registration, to a player who won't feature for even one minute with the reserves," Tebas observed. "Vinicius was registered with the reserve squad and actually played reserve matches. So if we're having an integrity discussion, we need to address all of this as well."

The La Liga president was careful to acknowledge that Real Madrid acted within regulations—"I believe they're permitted to do this," he conceded—but emphasized that this wasn't their first time finding creative interpretations of the rules.

"Throughout COVID, Real Madrid was the sole team granted permission to relocate stadiums to continue construction work," Tebas reflected. "Did that impact competitive balance? No. I fail to see what all the commotion is about."

Tebas and Madrid president Florentino Pérez have maintained a contentious public relationship for years. Just this past summer, La Liga denied Real Madrid's request for additional rest time before the 2025–26 season despite their progression to the Club World Cup semifinals.