Spain's sports council considers action against Javier Tebas after Nazi propaganda comparison and the LaLiga president hits back

Spain's top sports authority is considering opening a case on its own initiative after Javier Tebas, the president of LaLiga and vice president of the Spanish football federation, said this Friday that the editorial line of Real Madrid TV brought to mind propaganda techniques used by Joseph Goebbels in Nazi Germany. The news, originally reported by the EFE news agency, has triggered another escalation in a dispute that keeps Spanish football under intense scrutiny.

• Spain's CSD is weighing up acting on its own initiative after Tebas's remarks about Real Madrid TV.
• The LaLiga president compared the club channel's strategy to Nazi propaganda methods linked to Goebbels.
• Real Madrid demanded Tebas's immediate resignation as LaLiga president and RFEF vice president.
• Tebas says he cannot believe the news and wants his full statement to be read.
• The row deepens the power struggle between LaLiga, the Spanish FA and Real Madrid.

What Javier Tebas said about Real Madrid TV and Nazi propaganda

The LaLiga president attacked Real Madrid's media strategy with a historical comparison that has drawn a wave of criticism. In his view, the club's leadership runs a campaign in which Real Madrid TV acts as the main mouthpiece, selecting moments of play, repeating perceived grievances and fuelling suspicion against the club's enemies.

Their score never changes: pick the incidents that suit them, repeat the grievance, feed suspicion and point at their enemies. That method recalls propaganda mechanisms used by Goebbels, Nazi Germany's minister of propaganda.

Tebas stressed that his comparison was aimed exclusively at communication techniques, not at Nazi ideology or at Real Madrid's supporters. Even so, the reference to Hitler's propaganda chief triggered an immediate response from the club.

How Real Madrid responded: the club calls for Tebas to resign immediately

Hours after those remarks, Real Madrid issued an official statement demanding that Javier Tebas step down immediately as president of LaLiga and vice president of the Spanish football federation. The club described the executive as a genuine blight on Spanish football, adding another chapter to a long-running feud.

The relationship between Real Madrid and the LaLiga president is going through one of its most strained periods. The club has repeatedly criticised Tebas's running of the competition and has voiced frustration over refereeing and broadcasting issues affecting the team.

Why Spain's CSD could act against Tebas without a formal complaint

The Consejo Superior de Deportes, the government body that oversees sport in Spain, is exploring whether to open disciplinary proceedings without waiting for a third-party complaint. Acting on its own initiative would allow the CSD to examine whether Tebas's words breach the standards of respect and fair play expected in Spanish sport.

The option of acting on its own authority means the council can launch a case whenever it believes a public figure may have crossed the boundaries of institutional respect. Here, attention would focus on the language used by the man who leads Spain's professional clubs.

Javier Tebas reacts on social media: I cannot believe it

Javier Tebas took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to express his disbelief at reports that the CSD could open proceedings against him. The Aragonese executive said he expects the council, if the move is confirmed, to begin by reading his full written statement.

I cannot believe the news that the CSD is considering acting on its own initiative over my statements. If it is confirmed, I hope that review starts by reading what I actually wrote and by checking some precedents.

Tebas's message suggests he believes his comparison has been taken out of context and that a full review of his words, along with other similar situations in Spanish football, will support his position.

What could happen next between the CSD, Tebas and Real Madrid

The prospect of formal proceedings puts Tebas in a delicate institutional position. As LaLiga president he represents the professional clubs, while his role as vice president of the Spanish FA ties him to the national federation. Any CSD sanction would have implications both for him personally and for the governance of Spanish football.

The standoff between Real Madrid and Javier Tebas is nothing new, but the possible involvement of the Consejo Superior de Deportes adds a government dimension to a dispute that has so far been fought mainly in league offices, courtrooms and television studios.

The row also comes at a delicate moment for Spanish football, with the federation in the middle of an electoral process and several legal battles still open. Any decision by the CSD could influence the balance of power among the sport's main stakeholders.

Frequently asked questions about the CSD and Javier Tebas row