La Liga President Tebas slams Real Madrid refereeing ‘conspiracy’ claims

La Liga president Javier Tebas has pushed back strongly against allegations that referees are acting against Real Madrid, describing such claims as a recurring narrative and rejecting suggestions of a deliberate 'conspiracy'. Tebas posted a lengthy rebuttal on social media on Tuesday in response to pro-Real coverage of the capital derby, saying the competition does not belong to any single club and warning against framing refereeing around revenue or viewership. The confrontation traces back to Sunday’s 2-1 defeat by Atletico Madrid, when Real coach Jose Mourinho displayed printed screenshots at his post-match press conference of incidents he said should have produced red cards for Atletico players. Mourinho singled out a stamp by Atletico defender Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham and also raised concern about a challenge by Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde. Mourinho argued the decisions altered the course of the game. Tebas dismissed the idea that match officials are being directed against Real Madrid as a way of avoiding discussion of the club’s early-season struggles. He said portraying La Liga as dependent solely on one club showed disdain for other teams and their histories, and called the conspiracy narrative an excuse for shortcomings visible in the opening fixtures. Real Madrid face the dual reality of on-field controversy and squad issues: Valverde completed the match but the club later reported he had suffered 'severe trauma to his left ankle' and will have further tests. Mourinho, who returned to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer for a second spell with the club, has been tasked with ending a trophy drought and must now contend with public disputes over officiating as his side seeks to close a six-point gap to early leaders Barcelona.