Javier Tebas wants Spain’s top division to become the most popular in the world and says the scheduling of games between
Barcelona and
Real Madrid is key to that“We broke the traditions of football in
Spain,” Javier Tebas says in a manner so matter-of-fact that it is genuinely startling. But then the president of La Liga has long been unafraid to speak his mind and, as such, it is not overly surprising he is so forthright during a discussion centred on his desire to see his country’s top division become the most popular in the world. The ambition is clear and if that means radical change than so be it.
That has perhaps been seen most clearly in La Liga with the scheduling of games. Under Tebas, who took charge of Spain’s top flight in April 2013, every fixture is now staggered to ensure they can be screened live on television, at home and abroad. At one stage this had the effect of stretching each set of La Liga fixtures across four days, from Friday to Monday, with some on Saturday and Sunday kicking off late morning, a significant adjustment in a country where for so long matches took place solely at the weekend and later in the day.