Real Madrid demand Tebas resign after Goebbels comparison

Real Madrid demanded the resignation of Javier Tebas from his posts as La Liga president and Spanish Football Association vice-president on Friday after he compared the club's communications with propaganda methods used by Joseph Goebbels. In an official statement, Madrid said the comparison was incompatible with the responsibilities of someone holding both positions in Spanish football.

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According to BBC Sport, Tebas made the remarks in a lengthy post on X, criticising Madrid's management and its television channel. He accused the club's communications operation of selectively highlighting incidents, repeatedly presenting grievances and identifying enemies. His reference to Goebbels, Nazi Germany's propaganda minister, concerned what he described as repetition and the subordination of facts to a preferred narrative.

Tebas subsequently said he was comparing propaganda techniques rather than ideologies, BBC Sport reported. Madrid explicitly rejected that distinction in their response, arguing that it did not lessen the offensive nature of the remarks. The club said a comparison involving Nazi propaganda was unacceptable when used by a senior football official to discredit its leadership and television operation.

Madrid's statement also accused Tebas of a continuing pattern of attacks on the club, president and media outlets. It disputed his treatment of comments by journalists outside the organisation, saying the club could not be held responsible for the actions of third parties. Madrid argued that his conduct demonstrated a lack of the neutrality and impartiality required by his institutional roles.

The statement went beyond the resignation demand to renew Madrid's call for changes to Spanish football's refereeing system and federation structures. The club sought an overhaul covering governance, management, supervision and disciplinary functions. Those demands formed part of its broader criticism of the institutions in which Tebas holds office, rather than an announcement of reforms already agreed or implemented.

The confrontation follows earlier disagreements over officiating and the direction of European football. BBC Sport reported that Tebas criticised Madrid last month over claims of a refereeing conspiracy, and had previously clashed with the club and Florentino Perez over their plans for a European Super League in 2021. Madrid's latest statement called for Tebas to leave both offices immediately.