• Thebes: "I am in favor of having an audience where possible"

If there is something that even the most critical do not deny, it is its colossal capacity for work. Javier Thebes(Costa Rica, 1962) is a hard-working Estajanovista, and some of the LaLiga employees know this well. It is not easy to convince either, because it shoots arguments to defend its position as if it were a repeater rifle. The return of soccer, in the midst of a pandemic that was for all unknown terra, needed, therefore, a personality like that of the president of LaLiga, as irreverent in the media as strategic and discreet when the important thing is at stake. Thebes chatted with EL MUNDO about the harsh process in which he has closed agreements with televisions, sealed a truce with an irreconcilable enemy, advised economic and labor actions for the clubs, and agreed with a government that he would never vote for, but with whom he defended common interests, because the interest of soccer was also that of Spain.

Has football been in danger? Globally, no. But many of its members, yes. About 25% of professional clubs, a quarter, would have been in a very difficult situation. At risk of bankruptcy? Yes. What was the loss estimate in either scenario? Now we will lose 400 million. If football had not resumed, we would speak of 1,000 million. Is it possible to put it in jobs? Soccer generates 180,000 jobs, half of which would have been at risk without this return. In this process, it has had to overcome several obstacles . The first, the controversy of the tests. Was it justified that they be made available to footballers when they did not reach toilets and nursing homes? Indirectly, the players are LaLiga workers and my obligation as president is to protect the health of all my employees. On the other hand, and it is the question of why these tests did not reach hospitals or residences, it corresponds to answer others. It also generates controversy that clubs that pay fortunes to the players have made an ERTE to the employees. For example, Barça, with the highest salary ceiling in European football. From LaLiga we recommend salary reduction agreements with the players but also ERTE. In the case of Barcelona, ​​he has done both. Barça is a sports super-industry, which has many expenses that have nothing to do with professional football. For example, the museum. If it is closed, without activity, you will have to do an ERTE for your workers, and the same in other units. In my opinion, doing so is an act of responsibility with your members, because you must manage your assets, the club well. And after the ERTE will the big signings come? No, no ... We will not see large operations involving economic transactions. We will see player swaps or other formulas. The effect of the pandemic on the economy of the clubs will not be only for this season. Whoever believes it is wrong. Therefore, it is important to try to reduce wages in the future. It is not a problem only ours, but of all the European leagues. We will see it in the new contracts. Some of the current ones will be renegotiated and in others there will be payment deferrals. It is my recommendation, as the one to look more at the quarry. There is a general feedback on the market. Will it also affect television rights? I have agreed with the operators that we will face the damages that may have been caused this end of season. We will calculate it after July 19. We will pay something. From next season we have many closed contracts and I think we will be able to keep them, but we have to negotiate. Premium competitions have to be skillful, treat operators well to recover some of what they have lost in these months. The League has returned without an audience, but it does not seem like a closed matter. Why was it not done as in the Bundesliga to avoid uncertainty? Because in Germany the government closed that possibility from the beginning. Do you mean that it was done wrong here? Not at all. It has acted step by step, according to the instructions of Health and always being very strict legally. Although the Government's will is that there is no public at any time, there is a labyrinth of competence that involves the autonomous communities and leaves an open possibility. If we saw public in some stadiums and not others, would this alter the conditions of equality of the competition? The presence of the public is not one of the factors that determine the equality of the competition, in my opinion. There are things that affect that competitive equity much more. For example, there will be teams that have beaten Madrid or Barça with their public and others that now have to face them without their support. Does that affect equality? In Catalonia, more IRPF points are paid than in Madrid. Does that affect the equality of the competition, since the footballers of your teams pay more taxes? If the public returned or does it next season and there was a regrowth in a single autonomous community, would we then close the stadiums throughout Spain? I think that we should not frivolize and that this argument is being built because there are teams that have already decided that their spectators do not go. You have never hidden your political inclinations, you have even shown your sympathy for VOX. Being in the antipodes of this Government, however, has not prevented him from finding harmony to reach agreements. Football returns for the interest of Spain, since apart from the interests of the sector, the Government has taken into account its contribution to the country and its strategic value. In this process I have to thank the position of Irene Lozano [Secretary of State for Sport], who has done a much-needed mediation job.

Synthesized in the Viana Pacts. Is it a truce in the soccer war or is it peace with Luis Rubiales? It is a change in the ways of acting in the face of personal criticism that we can exercise with each other. The main agreement is not to air the dirty laundry constantly in public and to establish a dialogue table with the mediation of the Higher Sports Council in the event of any dispute that may arise. The conflicts between Thebes and Rubiales were very attractive in the media, but now they will no longer exist, least of all with the virulence that they did. Does this imply withdrawing the legal actions? No. I said I'd take a step on some matter. Most actions continue their process. We maintain different and judicialized positions, such as the litigation of the parties on Mondays and Fridays, in which we have had a last ruling in favor of our thesis. In that case, I think there is a usurpation by the Federation of the assets of the clubs that LaLiga operates. The difference with the past will be in the forms and in the mediation of truth by the CSD. It can help the understanding that previously people from both organizations could not reach. Did Pedro Sánchez call you personally to sit next to Rubiales? Not me. Has your opinion about the Federation president changed? I still think the same of Rubiales, and I understand that you will not have changed your opinion of me either. I do not believe in hypocrisy. The difference is that I will no longer say it, not even during the elections, called for this summer? I will give my opinion on the candidates, of course, including Rubiales, but only on what may affect professional football and in a constructive way. That is if there are more candidates ... Everything indicates that, given the speed of the deadlines, Iker Casillas will resign. For the democracy of the Federation it would be good if there were more candidates. Is or was Casillas the candidate for Thebes? so many things are said that I cannot deny them all. Casillas was not and is not a candidate for Thebes and it was demonstrated when, in the midst of a pandemic, I tweeted to contradict his opinion on the world calendar. Having got the League back, reinforces his position as leader. I was recently re-elected, no I think he needed it. What it does strengthen is the League as an institution. Without a collective effort coordinated by the organization, this return would have been impossible. Would the return of the Champions also be possible?

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  • Spain
  • Pedro Sánchez
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  • Luis Rubiales
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  • Iker Casillas
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  • Catalonia
  • Germany
  • sports

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