CSD escalates Tebas-Real Madrid dispute with referral to Spanish sports tribunal
· Yahoo Sports
Spain’s Higher Sports Council (CSD) has referred La Liga president Javier Tebas to the Administrative Tribunal for Sport (TAD) over comments comparing Real Madrid TV’s communication methods to propaganda used by Nazi Germany.
Visit freshyourfeel.org for more information.
The move follows a post published by the La Liga president on X on 16 October, with the CSD asking the independent tribunal to assess whether his remarks could constitute a serious sporting offence.
Tebas, who also serves as a vice-president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), made the comparison while criticising Real Madrid’s media approach.
The CSD has acted on its own initiative, submitting a reasoned request for the TAD to examine the matter.
CSD asks TAD to assess whether Tebas breached Spanish sports law
In its statement, the CSD said it had submitted the request because of Tebas’s remarks about Real Madrid.
According to the council, the league president compared the club’s communication methods to the “propaganda mechanisms exploited by Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany.”
CSD statement on Tebas’ comments against Real Madrid.
The CSD has asked the TAD to determine whether the comments show evidence of a possible breach of Article 76.4.b of Spain’s Sports Law 10/1990.
The provision identifies as serious offences “notorious and public acts that undermine sporting dignity or decorum.”
The referral does not establish that Tebas has committed an offence. Instead, it asks the TAD, an independent collegiate body, to assess whether the remarks fall within the scope of the legislation.
CSD highlights the importance of respect in Spanish sport
The council’s submission also refers to the TAD’s own legal doctrine, based on Supreme Court jurisprudence, concerning the meaning of sporting dignity and decorum.
According to the CSD, these principles are linked to maintaining a civilised environment in sport, which requires mutual respect between people holding significant positions within the sporting community.
The council also stressed the importance of protecting the values that allow sport to function as a space for respect, coexistence and fair play.
Tebas in hot waters after controversial statements. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images for Soccerex)
Tebas’s position as La Liga president and the RFEF vice-president places him among Spanish football’s most prominent administrators, making the dispute particularly significant given the institutional relationships between the league, the RFEF and Real Madrid.
The CSD’s intervention moves the controversy beyond a public dispute between Tebas and Real Madrid.
The TAD must now assess whether the comments meet the legal threshold for a serious sporting offence, rather than simply determine whether they were inflammatory.
That distinction matters: criticism of a club’s media strategy is one thing, while a potential breach of sporting regulations is another.
The referral itself is not a finding of guilt, and the tribunal’s assessment will determine whether the remarks warrant disciplinary consequences.