Tebas: My relationship with Barcelona is a "rollercoaster", and I understand Laporta's statements
Rapprochement after a period of tension
Javier Tebas has opened up on his relationship with Barcelona and their president Joan Laporta. The Spanish league chief described a bond that has swung between tension and closeness before settling, in recent years, into professional cooperation, even as some differences in viewpoint remain.
Speaking at the "World in Progress" forum in Barcelona, in comments reported by Sport newspaper, Tebas thanked Laporta for defending him against Real Madrid's criticism. The Catalan club's president, he stressed, recognises his commitment to La Liga's independence and his refusal to bow to pressure from the clubs.
"My relationship with Laporta has gone through good times and bad, it is like a rollercoaster," Tebas said, invoking the funfair ride to capture the sharp ups and downs of their dealings.
He added: "When they managed the club well, they understood how the rules of financial fair play work, and this helped to make our relationship more professional."
Tebas went on: "I understand Laporta's statements, he knows that I have always been keen to hold an independent position and to apply justice, and I have not submitted to any pressure of any kind. Had I done so, the league would have lost much of its authority in front of the clubs. I thank him for his words."
Financial disputes and financial fair play rules
The relationship has not always been stable. Recent years brought disputes over the financial rules the league imposes on its clubs, and above all over Barcelona's ability to register players amid their economic crisis.
One of the sharpest flashpoints was the investment deal with the CVC fund. Tebas backed the project, which aimed to inject investment into La Liga clubs in return for a share of future revenues. Barcelona refused to join, judging the terms a poor fit for the club's long-term interests.
Tensions over financial fair play rules deepened the rift too. Barcelona struggled to register several of their players because of their finances, and Tebas insisted the regulations applied to the club without exception.
Laporta, however, had previously revealed that institutional and personal relations with Tebas were improving. The pair reopened channels of communication after a period of confrontations, he said, and could now discuss their differences and reach understandings.
A declared rapprochement with the start of Laporta's new term
That thaw was on full show on 1 July 2026, at the ceremony confirming Laporta as Barcelona president for a new term running until 2031. Both men traded warm words in front of those gathered.
Tebas said they had disagreed over the years, but stressed each party was defending its own interests. "We may agree more or less, but we will always look for what is best for football and the league," he added.
Laporta fired back a message of his own, aimed straight at the La Liga president: "You have in Barcelona a loyal ally for promoting the Spanish league all over the world, at both the domestic and international levels. We are always ready to cooperate with you, and we have proven that and will continue to work in this way."
The points of agreement now outnumber the points of disagreement, Barcelona's president affirmed, and the two sides have grown used to hunting for common ground whenever differences surface.
A common front against Real Madrid?
These remarks carry extra weight amid the fierce tension between Barcelona and Real Madrid, particularly after the Negreira case and the Catalan club's withdrawal from the European Super League, which soured their relationship with Florentino Pérez.
Laporta told L'Équipe last October that the relationship with Real Madrid no longer existed and had become a confrontation, a nod to the fallout from the Negreira case.
Barcelona and Tebas, by contrast, appear to be moving towards closer institutional coordination. The league president views the Catalan club as a key partner in the competition's future, while Barcelona need a stable relationship with the body that runs the league as they navigate their financial and sporting troubles.
