Tebas doubles down on Goebbels comparison with Real Madrid TV: 'It is taught in journalism schools'

Javier Tebas is standing firm. The LaLiga president has responded again to Real Madrid after comparing the club's official channel to Joseph Goebbels' Nazi propaganda techniques, a comment that triggered a heated exchange. Instead of apologizing, Tebas published a lengthy statement on X arguing that such communication methods are studied in journalism and communications schools, and he offered a concrete example to support his position.

• Tebas maintains his comparison was limited to propaganda procedures, not ideologies or Real Madrid fans.
• He points to a journalism syllabus at the University of La Laguna as supporting evidence.
• He argues that mechanisms such as systematic repetition and the creation of an enemy are analyzed in universities.
• He dismissed any resignation and said he will keep commenting on Real Madrid TV's output.

What Tebas says about the University of La Laguna syllabus

Tebas looked to academic material from a Spanish public university to back his case. In his statement, he referred to a first-year mandatory course in the Journalism degree at the University of La Laguna called 'General Theory of Informative Messages'. According to Tebas, the 2025-2026 course guide includes an exercise on applying the eleven principles of Goebbels' propaganda to the present day.

The league president stressed that this is an example of how those resources are examined in higher education to understand how propaganda works and how it shapes public opinion. In his view, analyzing communication procedures does not automatically attribute an ideology to those who use similar mechanisms today.

The clarification Tebas says he made from the start

A key part of his defense was claiming that his clarification did not come only after the backlash. Tebas recalled that his original post already specified that he was talking about propaganda techniques, not ideology or Real Madrid supporters. That point, he insisted, was there before the verbal clash with the club erupted.

The comparison is with those propaganda techniques, not with an ideology and, of course, not with Real Madrid fans.

The message aims to deflect accusations of overreach and reinforce the idea that his criticism focuses on specific communication practices. Among them, he listed systematic repetition, the selective use of facts, and the construction of an enemy.

The mechanisms Tebas attributes to Real Madrid TV

The LaLiga president used the moment to spell out the procedures he denounces in Real Madrid TV's output. He maintains that both the club's channel and what he called its mouthpieces resort to strategies that, in his view, fit with the spirit of the academic exercise he cited.

Faced with calls for a retraction, Tebas was blunt: outrage does not refute examples. His position is that anyone who disagrees must challenge them on the facts, not just through an angry reaction.

Why Tebas rules out resigning after the controversy

The controversy came with voices questioning whether the LaLiga president's tone was appropriate. Yet Tebas closed the door on any resignation. He considers that what happened does not justify such a move and made clear he will speak again about Real Madrid TV whenever he sees fit.

This is another chapter in the ongoing friction between LaLiga and Real Madrid. While the club reacted with displeasure to the comparison, the league president stands by his arguments and responds with a public defense of his right to criticize the audiovisual content produced by the Madrid club.