LaLiga president Javier Tebas has dismissed suggestions that referees are involved in a conspiracy against Real Madrid after their 2-1 derby defeat by Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho displayed printed screenshots at his post-match news conference after Sunday’s loss, highlighting tackles by Atletico players that he believed should have resulted in red cards.
Tebas responded on social media to an article supporting Real Madrid, issuing a lengthy rebuttal to allegations that the club was being targeted by officials.
“Here they go again, the mouthpieces and the regime's television, building the same old narrative - the permanent conspiracy,” wrote Tebas, who has frequently clashed with Real Madrid and the club’s outspoken president Florentino Perez.
He also criticised the article’s claim that referees were damaging “the business that feeds them”.
“What exactly is it asking for? Refereeing based on revenue, viewership, or the badge? What a way to understand equality in the competition,” Tebas said.
“Real Madrid are crucial to La Liga. But claiming that 'La Liga is worth nothing' without them reveals the disdain for the other clubs, their fans, and their history. The competition belongs to no one.”
Real Madrid have made an inconsistent start to the season and are already six points behind defending champions and early leaders Barcelona in the La Liga standings.
“Claiming that referees are directed against Real Madrid is living in another galaxy,” Tebas added.
“That narrative serves as an excuse to cover up other shortcomings that are plain to see in these first matches of the season.
“It's more comfortable to point to a conspiracy than to explain what's happening on the pitch.”
Real Madrid responded later on Tuesday, describing Tebas’s remarks as “intolerable”.
“Our club considers it intolerable that the president of La Liga uses his institutional position to continue discrediting and attacking Real Madrid in the manner he does in each of his public interventions,” the club said in a statement.
“Given this inappropriate behavior, which has persisted over time, we believe that professional football in Spain urgently needs a leader capable of managing it and developing its full potential with the fundamental duty of neutrality.”
The dispute comes during Mourinho’s second spell in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu. He returned to the club in the close-season with the task of ending a two-year wait for a major trophy.
Real Madrid’s defeat by Atletico added to the pressure surrounding their early-season form, while Tebas’s comments have brought the relationship between La Liga’s president and the club back into public focus.