Eye on La Liga: Javier Tebas scores own goal with Catalonia threat

It’s hard to understand what Javier Tebas’ modus operandi was when he announced last week that Barcelona and Espanyol would be expelled from La Liga should Catalonia gain independence from the rest of Spain.

Was the president of the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) firing a warning shot across the bows or just looking to stoke the fire of an already overcooked debate?

Politics and football in Spain have always been inextricably linked of course, but with so many legal hoops to jump through before there’s even a hint of possibility of an autonomous region, such a statement from La Liga’s most senior figure is not just unhelpful, it makes no sense either.

What prompted Tebas’ outburst at this particular juncture is the possibility of the Catalonian parliament pressing ahead with a referendum for independence, due for November 9, even though it would be illegal in the eyes of the ruling Spanish authorities in Madrid.

In an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero last week, Tebas noted: “Barcelona and Espanyol could not play in the league if Catalonia is independent. And this is because the Sports Act has an additional provision that only Spanish state teams can play in the league, and those from Andorra.”

He added intriguingly: “I can’t imagine the LFP without Barca... the competition would be lost without Barcelona and the other Catalan clubs. I cannot imagine a league without Barca, Espanyol, Sabadell, Girona. All our business would go down.”

Both statements contradict the other, and arguably leave Tebas looking a little foolish. Does he really expect everyone to buy into a La Liga project sans Barca, one of it’s biggest teams and money-spinners?

Despite their obvious differences, Real Madrid couldn’t thrive without their biggest rivals in situ either.

Sid Lowe even noted in The Guardian the historical comments of Real president Florentino Perez, who said: “If Barcelona didn’t exist, we’d have to invent them.”

Financially as well as developmentally, such exclusions would crucify the league in the short, medium and longer term.

La Liga isn’t just about El Clasico and it would be asinine to suggest otherwise, but the league is clearly less attractive as a product when devoid of its biggest rivalry, with the greatest of respect to the other teams within it.

From Barcelona and Espanyol’s point of view, it would be a competitive and logistical nightmare.

Which league would they play in? Is it even likely that the clubs would be accepted elsewhere, given it would require an expansion to any given league and the prior acceptance of those teams already within it?

When all is said and done, the entire notion of an expulsion or even the threat of one is laughable, and in my opinion is unlikely to ever happen.

Which brings us nicely back to Senor Tebas.

Such a senior figure within an already much-maligned organisation should perhaps refrain from being drawn into such pernicious debate. Statements that are designed to ignite tensions surrounding such a thorny issue will only lead to further embarrassment and damaging publicity. Which in reality only succeeds in drawing attention away from the glorious fare on show every week in Spain.

Bit of an own goal really.

— The writer is a freelance football journalist