Javier Tebas: "We will not yield to the Federation's blackmail"

"Mad, audacious and irresponsible from the institution and Ángel María Villar, who does not appreciate the direction that professional football and supported football must take". Javier Tebas told the assembled journalists that the decision taken by the Delegate's Commission of the RFEF’s General Assembly "is a challenge to La Liga and only involves personal interests".

"We have filed an appeal before the Superior Sports Council, which is a competent body, given that this decision was not on the agenda and the Federation does not have the power to change any types of schedules. It will also be transferred to the Disciplinary Committee in order that they consider the appropriate sanctions for the members of the Delegate’s Commission who did not oppose the proposal".

La Liga’s president has asked the Government “to maintain and not touch even a single comma of the Royal Decree. If there has to be a strike, there will be one and if they want to suspend the competition, they will go on holiday later, but we will not yield to the Federation’s blackmail. If the Government yields to this irresponsible blackmail, we will take a backwards step in the regeneration of Spanish football".

Asked about his relationship with the president of the Real Federación de Fútbol, Ángel María Villar, Tebas stated, "I have requested 20 or 25 meetings with him. Ángel María Villar is irresponsible and audacious. He has proven himself to be a bad administrator and a bad president. He treats football like a country manor, only inviting those he wants to his house. That is how he has been running the Federation for the last 27 years. A lot of people have allowed him to behave in this way. He needs to accept that he holds a position that requires him to speak with all the representatives of football, whether he likes it or not".

On the topic of the Royal Decree that has been approved to sell television rights centrally, Javier Tebas declared, "it is a generous deal and clearly benefits the average football fan. Anyone expressing any doubts about it must be wearing a blindfold".

On the matter of the stance taken by the professional football players, the La Liga president hopes "they are not fooled by the union leaders. All they are looking for is more money to buy things. Professional footballers are supportive of each other, or do you really think they don’t want Segunda B players, Primera División women players and our elite athletes to have social security protection? There is an effort here to deceive in the name of gaining power and accumulating personal gain, without acting in the interests of football as a whole".

The La Liga president made assurances that the clubs "completely oppose [the call to strike action] because they don’t understand it" and underlined that "never has there been such a unanimous stance on such a controversial and complicated matter in the last 15 years. All the presidents and directors are pleased with the Royal Decree, which is an historic milestone. What is being carried out is an audacious move. We are not going to stand for it".