Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez took aim at his La Liga counterpart Javier Tebas for his failed Miami project, as well as his opposition to bringing the NFL to the Bernabéu, in the latest chapter of the pair’s ongoing rivalry.
Pérez and Tebas have made it a habit of exchanging verbal blows in a feud that pits Spain’s biggest club against the league in which they play. The two figures recently clashed over the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) attempt to host Villarreal vs. Barcelona on U.S. soil, with Los Blancos vehemently against the proposal.
The 19 other clubs in La Liga, including Villarreal and Barcelona themselves, joined Real Madrid in protest, admitting the Catalans would receive an “undue sporting advantage” getting to play what should be an away match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami—a neutral site.
The game was eventually canceled after the massive uproar, but Pérez has not let the matter go. The 78-year-old spoke out against Tebas and the RFEF at the latest Assembly of Representative Members
“It is not normal for the president of La Liga and the president of the Spanish Football Federation, who are responsible for ensuring the integrity of the competition, to promote a match that distorts the league,” Pérez said.
“It is not normal for them to support Barcelona having the advantage of playing one fewer match on their opponents’ home ground. Even their own captain, Frenkie de Jong, does not think this is normal.”
Indeed, De Jong spoke out against the proposed fixture, calling it “not fair” that Barcelona would get to play one less away game than every other club in the league.
