'It's a hoax' - La Liga chief Javier Tebas unmoved by Real Madrid's supposed intentions of joining another European league over refereeing controversies

Over the past few weeks, Real Madrid have voiced their frustrations with what they perceive as poor officiating in La Liga. The latest controversy erupted when Jude Bellingham was shown a red card during Los Blancos’ 1-1 draw against Osasuna. That result saw them surrender their position at the top of the league table to arch-rivals Barcelona, further fuelling discontent among club officials including president Florentino Perez .

Following their latest grievance with officiating, reports emerged suggesting that Real Madrid were considering an unprecedented departure from La Liga. Allegedly, the club has explored the possibility of joining another European league, with Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in France, and the Bundesliga in Germany mentioned as potential alternatives. However, Tebas was quick to shut down such speculation, stating that there is no legal pathway for Real Madrid to play in another country’s domestic league.

Brushing aside the rumours, Tebas emphasized: "It’s a hoax – it is impossible, and they know it themselves. There is a Sports Law that says that clubs in Spain have to play in the national competitions on a mandatory basis. It is counted to reaffirm the strategy they are following, so which league are they going to go to?”

Tebas also took the opportunity to address criticism of the league’s refereeing standards, and took aim at Real Madrid TV, the club’s official channel, which has frequently lambasted officiating decisions this season.

"The refereeing system can be improved, but it is not adulterated," he said. "When the Negreira issue came up, a meeting was held with the clubs and it was considered to change the system so that it would not depend on an organisation, a meeting that Real Madrid did not attend. Here is a story to destroy the National League. If all the clubs had television, this would be hell."

Adding to Real Madrid's frustration, it has now been confirmed that Bellingham will serve a two-match suspension as punishment for his reaction toward the referee during the Osasuna match, which will see him miss the fixtures against Girona on February 23 and Real Betis on March 2. However, the English midfielder will be part of the Madrid squad to face Manchester City in their Champions League play-off tie on Wednesday.