‘He wants his own football’… Javier Tebas criticizes Real Madrid president ahead of final against Barcelona | OneFootball

There is a lot of noise right now when it comes to the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Already a heavily anticipated clash between two Spanish giants, it is now gaining attention for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately for Barcelona, such noise can be detrimental.

Recently, Los Blancos have decided to make a big deal out of their concerns regarding the final’s current officials. Real Madrid want those referees changed, and the RFEF has thus far decided not to give in to their pressure as they stick to their original decision.

However, Florentino Perez and the Madrid-based club are not an institution that likes to back down quietly. From releasing official statements to potentially even considering not playing the final itself, Real Madrid are doing everything they can to apply pressure in this situation.

Most recently, however, even La Liga president Javier Tebas has chimed in and has given his opinion on the matter. As stated by him on his official X account, this strategy by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is something that he has condemned publicly and has stated that it is a recurring theme for them:

“This isn’t about football — it’s about a power struggle. He (Florentino Perez) doesn’t like Tebas because Tebas won’t do what he wants. He doesn’t like Ceferin because Ceferin won’t do what he wants. He doesn’t like Louzán because Louzán won’t do what he wants. He doesn’t like TV commentators because they don’t say what he wants to hear. He opposes the referee reform because it’s not the one he wants.”

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti greets Barcelona coach Hansi Flick. Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images

He further went on and highlighted how Real Madrid are now acting unprofessionally simply because a referee shared his own experiences after Real Madrid TV forced a bad image of them and made it public:

“And now, after the referees spoke out — tired of the constant harassment from Real Madrid TV — he reacts the only way he knows how: Cancels the press conference. Skips the training session at La Cartuja. Snubs the official events for the Copa del Rey final. Leaks that he won’t even show up at the final. Such thin skin.”

However, the La Liga president did not stop there. He further went on to suggest that this is a form of pressure and a type of threat that Real Madrid is putting out, something that harms football across the board:

“He doesn’t protest — he pressures. He doesn’t complain — he threatens. He doesn’t disagree — he punishes. He doesn’t want to improve football — he wants his football. And the worst part isn’t that he tries. The worst part is that so many let him, enable him, and help him.”

It remains to be seen what happens regarding the Copa del Rey final tomorrow, but things are far from ideal right now. Either way, Barcelona must remain focused and they simply cannot allow this controversy to derail their focus from the final itself.