La Liga: Tebas-Ancelotti, the new clash of swords

Europe 29 March 2025 at 11:21

Aliou Toundé

News Editor

The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has never shied away from crossing swords with Real Madrid. After targeting Florentino Pérez, it's now Carlo Ancelotti who finds himself in his sights.
A persistent quarrel between Real and La Liga

The tensions between Real Madrid and La Liga are not new. The Madrid club regularly complains about the decisions of the authorities, whether it's about refereeing, match scheduling, or a congested calendar. The latest criticism: matches played at too short intervals. Ancelotti recently declared that his team would refuse to play matches spaced less than 72 hours apart, pointing to a grueling calendar.

Tebas was quick to respond. With a touch of irony, he also reminded that clubs have five substitutions to manage intensity and suggested that Madrid should better manage its squad:

In the NBA, they play every 24 hours, they must all be dead. It was decided to allow five substitutions because of Covid, but if you make three in the 85th minute and then complain... If there are 25 players per team, rotation is necessary. We can't say everything is the fault of those of us who run the leagues.

Ancelotti hits back, Tebas counterattacks

In response to the La Liga president's public statement, the Madrid coach didn't mince his words. At a press conference before the match against Leganés, he took a shot at the Spanish official:

I knew Tebas was obsessed with Real Madrid, but I didn't know he wanted to become a coach. He should focus on his own projects. He has disrespected Real Madrid and the coaches.

But Tebas is not a man to remain silent. In response, he unearthed old statements from Ancelotti, dating from his time at Everton and Real Madrid, where the Italian seemed to defend the five-substitution system. In 2020, he claimed that three changes were enough to influence a match, and in 2022, he praised the five substitutions, considering them beneficial for exploiting spaces late in the game. This new verbal joust once again illustrates the animosity between Real Madrid and the La Liga leadership.