LaLiga president Javier Tebas responds to Real Madrid's 'threat to quit the league' over Jude Bellingham red card row

Javier Tebas has broken his silence after Real Madrid reportedly threatened to quit LaLiga amid their fury over refereeing standards in Spain.

On Monday, Spanish outlet Sport claimed that Los Blancos could make a stunning move to withdraw from LaLiga and join a different league after Jude Bellingham’s sending off at the weekend saw their anger towards officials grow.

Madrid midfielder Bellingham was shown a red card by referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero for foul and abusive language 39 minutes into their draw with Osasuna. 

The Spanish referee accused the former Birmingham City wonderkid of shouting ‘f*** you’ in his direction, as the 21-year-old vented his frustration.

Nevertheless, Bellingham’s account of the scenario is different, with the 21-year-old adamant that he said ‘f*** off’. He also claimed that the language used was aimed at himself in frustration, rather than at the match official.

However, LaLiga president Tebas hit back at Real’s threats and insisted there was no likelihood of them being followed through. 

Reports said Real could withdraw from the Spanish top flight over refereeing standards

Jude Bellingham was sent off for shouting ‘f*** you’ towards the referee against Osasuna

‘It’s a hoax,’ said Tebas at Los Desayunos de La Cronica de Badajoz, an event that was taking place on Tuesday in the city of Badajoz in southwest Spain.  

‘It’s impossible and they themselves know it. There is a sports law that says that Spanish clubs have to play in national competitions on an obligatory basis. 

‘It (their threat) is used to reaffirm the strategy they are following. Which league are they going to go to?’

Tebas’ comments seem to shut down any chances of Real moving leagues, but there were already multiple barriers to such a decision.

Any potential change of league for Real would first have to be approved by FIFA and the respective league that they would ask to join. They would also need approval from UEFA to change leagues.

Real’s fury comes after they have been left incensed with recent officiating decisions in their matches, with Bellingham’s incident the latest in a long-list that the Spanish giants have highlighted.

Earlier in the month Los Blancos had filed a complaint against the Spanish FA (RFEF) in regards to ‘serious refereeing behaviour’.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side had fallen to a 1-0 loss at Espanyol after defender Carlos Romero scored in the 85th minute for the hosts.

The goal sparked debate among fans as many felt as though Romero should have been sent off earlier in the match for a nasty challenge on Kylian Mbappe.

Shortly after, Real wrote a letter which read: ‘The events that occurred in this match have exceeded any margin of human error or referee interpretation.

‘What happened at the RCDE Stadium represents the culmination of a completely discredited refereeing system, in which the decisions against Real Madrid have reached a level of manipulation and adulteration of the competition that can no longer be ignored.

‘Given the seriousness of what happened, Real Madrid demands that the RFEF immediately hand over the VAR audio recordings relating to the two key plays of the match:

‘1. The audio recordings of the communication between the VAR and the field referee in the action of the tackle of the player Carlos Romero on Kylian Mbappe.

‘2. The audio recordings of the communication between the VAR and the field referee in the play of the disallowed goal for Vinicius Jr.

‘3. The conversations between the members of the VAR room in both plays.’

Meanwhile, Tebas’ latest comments come after he previously hit back at Real’s aforementioned statement and suggested the club failed to provide alternative solutions in a recent meeting.

Tebas hit back at Real and insisted that there were laws against the club leaving LaLiga

According to Marca, he said: ‘I was not at all surprised by Real Madrid’s letter, as it does not say anything different from what their television channel has been repeating for some time.

‘Many of us advocate a radical change in the arbitration system, moving closer to the English or German model, with a completely different organisation and much more transparency in all the structural decisions of Spanish arbitration’.

On Monday, Real Madrid then met with the refereeing council (CTA) over the Romero incident in the Espanyol clash.

However, as per Marca, Real Madrid sources shared that ‘the CTA (denied) a negative bias towards Madrid, but the club sees it, and has expressed it as such’. 

Despite their fury at officiating standards, Real currently sit second in LaLiga, where they are level on points with Barcelona.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side return to action on Wednesday when they face Man City in the second leg of their Champions League knockout stage clash at the Bernabeu, with the Spanish giants holding a 3-2 lead from last week’s first leg.