Updated Friday, August 11, 2023 – 01:05
Many challenges in these ten years for the president of LaLiga such as the pandemic, various crises and, now, the threat of new players such as Saudi Arabia
Javier Tebas at the Ibero-American Congress. Europa Press
The economic crises, the pandemic, the emergence of new players such as Saudi Arabia… There are many challenges that Javier Tebas (San José, Costa Rica, 1962) has faced at the helm of LaLiga. And it is that ten years go a long way. The highest president of professional clubs continues to see things that could be improved in his organization, but he continues to rank it as the best league in the world.
What awaits us in this new LaLiga EA Sports and Hypermotion? This is a year full of novelties in LaLiga: the name, the brand or the logo, but also other more profound ones. The fan will enjoy a new way of experiencing soccer, especially with innovations in broadcasting. It is also important to improve access to football through operators for both LaLiga EA Sports and LaLiga Hypermotion.The change of sponsor benefits them financially, right? Yes, but it has not been the main reason. After six seasons with Banco Santander, we understood that in order to make a qualitative leap we needed to implement profound changes such as that of the main sponsor. The agreement with EA SPORTS, which was already a strategic partner, allows us to take a qualitative leap in innovation by merging the virtual world with real competition and connecting with other audiences worldwide. I think it also has technological implications that will also help themnEA SPORTS represents the forefront of interactive soccer experiences and that has been one of the main motivations for reaching this agreement. It is an alliance with a common purpose: we are committed to revolutionizing the consumption of soccer.
Does the change of corporate image respond to this new line of innovation that they want to print to the competition? We had an image that no longer fit with the reality of LALIGA, it had become too small for us, and at a time of so much strategic change we also decided to evolve this identity. Javier Tebas in the Ibero-American Congress. Europa Press
A very important challenge is to adapt to the disruption of the audiovisual world in sport. Of course, the obligation to continue fighting with more strength, more resources and more forcefulness to eradicate any trace of racism and intolerance from our football. Lastly, developing the defense of a balanced and fair governance model in European football such as the launch of the Union of European Clubs (UEC), supported by LaLiga, which advocates offering a voice to all clubs, not just the most elite ones. .
If you had to do a global ranking, how would you place LaLiga EA Sports worldwide? Sportingly, with objective data, LaLiga would be in first place because we lead the ranking of European titles since, of the last 68 trophies, it has 35 against the others. 13 of the Premier. If we talk about players, we have a predominant position with 6 Golden Boy, 24 Ballon d’Or and 15 Golden Boot.
But we cannot forget economic sustainability thanks to our financial control. Our competition and its clubs are leaders in solvency without the need for aid or subsidies. Obviously, the Premier League is a great competition, but it does not have a sustainable model, since it has lost more than 2.8 billion euros in the last five seasons alone.
The Premier League is a referential competition in terms of income, but another player has burst in with great force, the Saudi league. Is it a threat? What they are a reference is in spending and from LaLiga we have spent years defending the need to establish common rules of the game for everyone. Having leagues that allow clubs to make losses in a generalized way and that are only sustained thanks to the funds contributed by millionaire shareholders without an economic-financial rationale, distorts the competition. Are you surprised that players, still at the top of their careers, have accepted offers from there, Benzema among them? Each one will have their reasons, but they are still professionals making the decisions they consider most appropriate for their careers. Where you have to focus is on solving the imbalance produced by artificially inflated leagues, which are the ones that cause competitiveness problems and adulterate competition.
There are others, however, who have rejected it. Kroos, Modric, Busquets, Alba and Mbapp. Do you think Mbapp has reasons to come to LaLiga? Will it? Any player who wants to play in the elite has reasons to come to LaLiga. We are the competition with the most European titles and with the most awarded players, so the motivation to come is a fact. As to whether or not I will, I should not be the one to answer. Personally, I would love it, I want the best playing here. Javier Tebas at a press conference on the Negreira case. EFEThe League loses weight without Benzema, Busquets or Asensio. Is it offset by the arrivals of Bellingham, Gundogan or Azpilicueta? No, it’s a very superficial vision and you also have to value those who don’t leave and who are the world’s leading stars: Vinicius, Pedri, Griezmann or En-Nesyri, among others. In addition, those who have come have come to a football without an inflationary vortex in the purchase of players, the result of a good strategy that causes great players to have arrived free.
They compare us with other leagues because of the spending on transfers, but it is a mistake if it is not analyzed if this purchase and sale of players responds to sporting objectives. LaLiga has value as a competition beyond individual talents. Even so, if we talk about great players, the reality is that, of the last 13 Ballon d’Ors, 12 have gone to LaLiga players. Recently, he has had a crossover with Gerard Piqu about his Kings League, he believes that LaLiga has What things to learn from your competition? There is no point in comparing them because they are completely different. But you can learn from everything and Piqu has been able to generate great expectations with a new product made with characters from different fields. We share innovation, the search for new resources and go beyond the football ecosystem.
Another league with which it does not have a very good relationship is the Super League. Do you conclude the project and its threat? The project is finished, but the threat is not. Its main promoter will continue to use its resources to keep alive an initiative that would allow it to control professional football not only at a Spanish level, but also at a European level and, if you hurry me, at a global level, to the detriment of the rest of the clubs. At least that project has managed to smooth things over between you and Rubiales. Do you think that they will be able to unite Spanish football or that, at least, their personal relationship will not affect him? The conflict between Rubiales and me is not personal. We have opposing concepts of what professional football and management work in it should be. We are committed to sustainability, internationalization and permanent innovation and a transparent and democratic management model.
Negreira and the future
Last year one of the biggest cases of corruption broke out in the arbitration establishment. Has LaLiga overcome that stain? Do you think they have had some responsibility? Any reputational problem that affects the football sector affects LaLiga, even if we are not directly responsible. In this specific case, we have acted and carried out the pertinent controls based on what our powers allow us.Do you have plans to continue at the helm of LaLiga for many years? I intend to continue for four more seasons and run for re-election, but it is the teams that decide. As of today I feel the support for this renewal of the vast majority.
How do you see LaLiga of the future? Being an increasingly strong and consolidated brand in areas beyond football. Today it already has the largest ecosystem in the sports and entertainment industry. I think it will have an even greater international presence. Brands like Real Madrid or FC Barcelona are recognized anywhere in the world, and in the future most of the clubs in our competition will also be. We will also have first class facilities thanks to LaLiga Impulso.
2023-08-10 23:05:26
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