A war of words has erupted between La Liga and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) following scathing criticism by president Javier Tebas. The Spanish league chief used a recent appearance at a sports summit in Argentina to lament the state of football in the South American country and the way its institutions are managed, drawing a sharp rebuke from AFA president Claudio Tapia.
Tebas laments state of Argentine club football
Tebas has sparked a row with the AFA following highly critical remarks made during the 'Olé Summit' conference in Argentina. Tebas took advantage of his platform to express his views on the current state of Argentine football, particularly focusing on the domestic club game and its management.
"My first feeling is sadness because a country with so much passion, so many fans, and such a strong sense of belonging doesn't have football and clubs with the performance level to become a world power at the club level," Tebas stated during the conference. He went on to point out what he perceives as a "lack of potential" within Argentine football and claimed to feel Argentine by adoption, adding that he suffers "because of the state" of the sport in the country.
AdvertisementAFPAFA President Tapia hits back at Tebas
The comments from Tebas were met with an almost immediate and sharp response from Tapia. The AFA president took to social media platform X to address the La Liga president's criticisms, labelling them as an insult to Argentine football and its history.
"Our tournament isn't a league for the few: it's popular, competitive, and developmental," Tapia wrote in the first of two posts responding to Tebas. "To belittle it is to ignore our history and the contribution we make to world football. What can we expect now, if you've already criticised even the Club World Cup?"
Tapia continued his defence in a subsequent post, highlighting Argentina's status as current world champions and rejecting Tebas's interference. "We are the League of World Champions, and we don't accept insults from those who should be promoting respect between institutions," Tapia stated. He also addressed Tebas's comment about feeling Argentine by adoption with a parting remark: "And to be clear, you don't need to 'become a citizen.' Argentinians are born wherever they want."
Tebas also takes aim at Saudi Pro League
During the same conference in Argentina, Tebas also addressed the current standing of La Liga following the departures of global superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While acknowledging he would prefer to have such players in the league, Tebas argued that the strength of a competition lies in its clubs and competitiveness rather than individual stars.
"I would prefer to have Messi, Cristiano, Mourinho, Guardiola, all of them… But that’s not the key to sustaining growth. Players are temporary; what makes you great are the clubs and a strong competition," Tebas said.
He then used the Saudi Pro League as an example to support his argument, suggesting that the influx of star players does not guarantee a league's status as one of the world's best. "Take the case of the Saudi league, which has major stars, but still hasn’t taken off as one of the best in the world," Tebas claimed. He insisted that La Liga's structural model and strict salary-cap rules have preserved its growth and that broadcaster contracts remained stable even after Messi's departure.
Tebas maintained that La Liga remains the second-best league in Europe behind the Premier League and is narrowing the gap. "In Europe, the Premier League is on top, but we come right after them. Below us are the Bundesliga, Serie A, and the French league. You can also see it in followers and engagement on social media. We’re growing every day, widening the gap with other competitions and narrowing the distance with the Premier League."
AFPWhat next for La Liga and the AFA?
The public spat between Tebas and Tapia is likely to strain relations between La Liga and the Argentine Football Association. The exchange highlights a clash in perspectives on football development and management, with Tebas advocating for a European model focused on club performance and financial controls, while Tapia defends the Argentine approach, emphasising its "popular and competitive" nature and its success in producing world-class talent and winning international tournaments. This incident adds to the list of public disagreements involving Javier Tebas, who has also recently had exchanges with players like Thibaut Courtois regarding La Liga's plans to play matches overseas. The long-term consequences of this latest row remain to be seen.
