Real Madrid, Barcelona and RFEF teamed up to remove La Liga President Javier Tebas | OneFootball

The tension between La Liga President Javier Tebas and former RFEF President Luis Rubiales has never been much of a secret, but recent messages leaked from the latter’s phone allege a concerted campaign to remove him from his position. By his side, he had Spain’s two biggest clubs.

As part of the recent revelations from The Objective, leaking messages between Rubiales, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Gerard Pique, the Slovenian called Real Madrid President Florentino Perez ‘an idiot and a racist’. Rubiales had been working with Perez until the Superleague issue came up, which turned the Real Madrid chief against him. The message was sent in 2019, and says they also had the support of Barcelona President at the time Josep Maria Bartomeu.

“Florentino, Bartomeu and I were trying to find a candidate against Tebas, but I think now Florentino is against me. But I will continue. UEFA’s position is the honest one.”

The light has been shone on the messy behind-the-scenes politics of Spanish football in recent years, with scandals erupting involving both Barcelona and the RFEF. Clearly, they were not successful in their campaign, with Bartomeu losing a vote of no confidence in 2020, and Rubiales being forced to resign in 2023.