Javier Tebas has reacted to the cancellation of LaLiga’s Miami match in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The controversial US match between Villarreal and Barcelona was called off on Tuesday night after a weekend of protests from the league’s players.
LaLiga tried to censor protests by not showing the first 10 seconds of matches where players refused to play, but that in itself caused more headlines.
On top of that, Barca joined in with the gesture when they weren’t even asked to, while Hansi Flick spoke out against the game and was joined by key players like Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Pedri.
The majority have now won, and Tebas isn’t happy.
Posting on Twitter/X in the early hours, he wrote: “A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR SPANISH FOOTBALL.
“Today, Spanish football has lost an opportunity to move forward, project itself to the world, and strengthen its future.
“The defence of “tradition” is invoked from a narrow and provincial perspective, while the true traditions of European football are threatened by decisions from the institutions that govern it, which year after year destroy national leagues, the true engine of the football industry in Europe, amid the naivety and passivity of European leaders who fail to distinguish the inconsequential from the essential.
“The “integrity of the competition” is appealed to by those who have spent years questioning that very integrity, pressuring referees, leaders, constructing distorted narratives, or using political and media pressure as a sporting tool.
“And others, perhaps unknowingly and in good faith, have been drawn into debates about information that was already addressed in 2018, where that supposed “information”—which they had then and have now—was merely an excuse to kill the project.
“I want to thank Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona for their commitment and generosity in being part of a project that only sought the growth of our competition. They weren’t thinking of themselves; they were thinking of everyone.
“LaLiga will continue working, with rigor and conviction, to ensure that Spanish football remains competitive, standing up to those who seek to destroy it, but always with respect for its roots and ensuring its sustainability.
“Spanish football deserves to look to the future with ambition, not with fear. We will keep trying. This time, we were very close.”
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