Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has risked controversy just days before the Clasico by admitting he is a Real Madrid fan.
The 53-year-old, who has been in his position since April 2013, revealed he has supported Los Blancos since he was a child, but admitted his puts his support for the club on the side so his work is not compromised.
In a honest interview with Madrid-based daily AS, Tebas said: “If I say I don’t support Madrid, then that would be hypocritical and I would be painted as a liar. And I certainly don’t like to be called a liar. Imagine if I said that I loved all teams, and then it came out that I supported Madrid since I was a boy, went to 27 Clasicos in the past, that I celebrated Madrid wins with friends in a bar. I prefer to call it as it is.”
The La Liga chief did then reaffirm his desire to see league games played abroad to raise the profile of Spanish football even further but stated the Clasico would always be played in Spain.
“The Clasico will never be played outside of Spain. It’s a key game in our league competition and has huge international prestige. We’ll study the possibility of playing certain games outside of Spain but at present this initiative doesn’t form part of our international expansion plans.”
