La Liga President Javier Tebas says football doesn’t have a problem with misogyny

La Liga President Javier Tebas has claimed that football does not have a problem with misogyny, despite a number of events in the recent past with the Spanish women’s national team that would suggest otherwise.

Spain captains Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes spoke of sexist discrimination that has been on decades within the RFEF and Spanish football in general.

However during an interview with Movistar+, Tebas swerved using that word, downgrading it to a merely a lack of respect.

“I don’t like to use the expression mysogyny, it is very politically manipulated. What there was in the Federation was a problem of disrespect for women, and an attack on the dignity of women. Misogyny has a dirtier, more animalistic connotation.”

🎙️@juanmacastano: “¿Hay un problema de machismo en el fútbol?”

🗣️ @Tebasjavier: “Ha habido un problema de falta de respeto y de dignidad a la mujer”.

En directo en 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐬+ (𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝟳). #TEBASenMovistarPlus pic.twitter.com/RAOUH4I39Y

— Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarPlus) September 25, 2023

Tebas has acknowledged that he votes for far-right party Vox, who complained that former RFEF President Luis Rubiales had been the victim of a media witchhunt when he kissed Jenni Hermoso without her consent.

The Liga President also denied that Spanish football had a problem with racism last season initially, despite Vinicius Junior being racially abused on at least 10 occasions. Tebas has said that these are isolated incidents, but that they are taking strong measures to eliminate racism from the Spanish game.