Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, referred this Tuesday to the statements of former commissioner José Manuel Villarejo in RAC1, in which he suggested that Real Madrid also tried to fix matches before Barcelona, and assured that "if he has something, let him prove it." ".
“Villarejo says two things. That Florentino had bribed referees and that he is untouchable. First of all, if he has something, let him prove it. Villarejo talks a lot and then… Villarejo's tactics to denounce things are incredible and very condemnable; That's why I talk about Villarejo-style journalists; You make up a story and take it to court to try to see what happens. He will have to get more,” he declared.
“The second part, in which he says that Florentino is untouchable because (Alfredo Pérez) Rubalcaba told him so. I think I believe it. Knowing… Villarejo does not say it, it is a popular thing in this country. Everyone knows it, it is something objective. Rubalcaba was a good friend of Florentino and everything fits me. That Rubalcaba, who was the Minister of the Interior and Villarejo, the police, says it… is within what I could agree with,” he added.
Furthermore, Javier Tebas showed his concern about the so-called 'Negreira case' and expressed his opinion on Sandro Rosell's statements to the Catalan stations RAC1 and Catalunya Radio, justifying the payment of “4,000 euros for an arbitration report that can save you from a yellow card or a penalty.”
“I have to see the environment. 4,000 euros for a report if it can save you a penalty... is the report from the goalkeeper or what is it? I don't know who the author is. From the Negreira issue we will see that these reports were not worth 4,000 euros; “They were worth much less and he charged much more,” he noted.
“I have not been happy with the refereeing issue for years. We have to improve a lot. It is said that we have the best referees in the world and I don't know where that classification is; thats the reality. Then, because there is a lot of unease among club presidents, coaches, players… decisions have to be made and the problems analyzed,” he added.
“We have to start having more transparency, hear what the VAR says, be able to interview the referee… as they are doing in other competitions. One of the medicines for this problem is to be more transparent in the area of decisions,” he concluded.
Tebas also analyzed the decision of the Sevilla board to break relations with FC Barcelona and not witness the last meeting between both teams from the box of the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys together with the board of directors of the Barça team due to the 'Negreira case'.
“I am worried about Negreira. That is a consequence of it and decisions of the clubs. Everything that is happening with the 'Negreira case' is doing a lot of damage to the clubs. There are some presidents of FC Barcelona accused of not explaining why they made those payments, but the reputational damage is to all of Spanish football. From Sevilla to Alcorcón. That presidents are angry and hurt is normal,” he noted.
“I talk about this every day with the presidents, but I keep what we talk about confidential, but we all agree that a lot of reputational damage is being done to Spanish football and that it is going to be very difficult for us to fix everything that is happening,” he said.
