Real Madrid have renewed calls for La Liga president Javier Tebas to step down after he likened the club's media strategy to the propaganda tactics of Nazi Germany's Joseph Goebbels, reigniting one of Spanish football's longest-running feuds.

The row erupted after Tebas posted a lengthy message on social media on Friday, taking aim at Real Madrid's in-house television channel and its coverage of refereeing decisions. The Spanish giants have frequently used their club media to highlight what they regard as errors by officials ahead of matches, a practice that has long irritated the league's leadership.

In his post, Tebas wrote that "Real Madrid's management directs an orchestra of mouthpieces and Real Madrid TV leads the singing," accusing the club of following a repetitive formula. "Their score is always the same: select the plays that suit them, repeat the grievance, feed the suspicion, and point fingers at the enemies," he said, adding that the approach "recalls propaganda mechanisms exploited by Goebbels, Nazi Germany's minister of propaganda: systematic repetition, construction of an enemy, and subordination of facts to the narrative."

Facing immediate backlash, Tebas attempted to soften his remarks, clarifying that he was referencing specific propaganda methods rather than drawing any ideological parallel. "The comparison is with those propaganda techniques, not with an ideology or, of course, with the Madridista fanbase," he said.

The clarification did little to placate Real Madrid, who issued a scathing statement branding the comments "deeply offensive" and "morally repugnant." The club argued that invoking Nazi propaganda methods was unacceptable from someone holding significant institutional roles in Spanish football.

"Real Madrid CF considers it absolutely intolerable and extraordinarily serious that someone who occupies two positions of utmost responsibility in Spanish football should resort to a comparison with the propaganda methods of the Nazi regime to discredit our club, its management and its television," the statement read. The club went further, describing Tebas's pattern of behavior as incompatible with his duties. "The repeated conduct of Javier Tebas shows a lack of neutrality, respect and impartiality incompatible with his institutional responsibilities," it said, calling his continued criticism of the club and those pushing for reform "a real scourge for Spanish football."

Real Madrid formally demanded Tebas resign both from his position as La Liga president and from his role as vice-president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The club also expressed particular concern that Tebas's post referenced the Negreira affair, the ongoing judicial investigation into payments made by Barcelona to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of the Spanish federation's referees committee. While Barcelona maintain the payments were for legitimate scouting and technical reports, suspicions of improper influence over officials have persisted. Real Madrid have submitted a dossier on the matter to UEFA and suggested Tebas should focus his energy on that investigation rather than targeting their club.

This is far from the first clash between Tebas and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez. Tensions have simmered for years, notably following Real's involvement in the failed European Super League project in 2021, and more recently after Tebas criticized the club last month for alleging a conspiracy among referees against them. Head coach José Mourinho has also publicly complained about officiating decisions affecting Madrid this season.

Separately, Spain's football federation confirmed it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FIFA rejected its challenge against sanctions tied to Islamophobic chanting by supporters during a World Cup warm-up match against Egypt in March. FIFA had fined the federation $20,000 and ordered partial stadium closures for the next home friendly, rejecting the federation's argument that the chants did not constitute discriminatory conduct.

Based on reporting from Guardian Football, The Standard, and BBC Sport.