LaLiga President Javier Tebas doesn’t hold back on FIFA and Infantino: “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up”

In the front row in both New York and Madrid to celebrate Spain’s rise to the top of world football was Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, who sees the country’s World Cup triumph as validation of Spanish football’s long-term development model. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the executive explained what he believes are the secrets behind the system’s success:

“It’s community-based work. It starts with the clubs, whose academies have been strengthened and carefully nurtured in recent years. And, of course, especially with the Federation, which knows how to identify and develop the talent coming from our clubs. On top of that, since 2013 LaLiga has enforced very specific and strict salary limits, pushing clubs to invest even more in youth development.”

The figure who best embodies that working model is head coach Luis de la Fuente. Tebas praised his journey through the national team setup: “He joined the Federation in 2013 and developed alongside an extraordinary generation of young players, starting with the under-19s. He has now won the World Cup with 10 players he previously coached at youth level. In football there is a tendency to focus on names, but people are what make the difference.”

While Tebas sees Spain’s project as a model to follow, his opinion of FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, could not be more different.

“The Balogun case proves that we are governed by an institution that does whatever it wants, whenever it wants, serving only its own interests without thinking about, much less consulting, the rest of football. In many cases it acts to the detriment of the game. The ruling on the Super League gave FIFA and UEFA enormous power and reinforced their monopoly. But they should have used that position to work with the different stakeholders in our industry for the good of football, with transparent regulations and decisions reached by consensus. Instead, FIFA continues down its own path. We have repeatedly complained about the calendar, and now they want to stage a 64-team World Cup.”

For Tebas, the conclusion is straightforward: Infantino’s time at the helm of FIFA should come to an end. “I think he has already served his purpose. But he has the support of the system, of the federations, so there isn’t much more to say. There is no opposition candidate because nobody wants to run just to lose. That’s the system, and it’s a system that is fundamentally sick. He shouldn’t stay, but under the current circumstances, he won’t leave.”

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