La Liga won’t punish Super League clubs

La Liga may not be going the way of Italy, which has ruled out punishing clubs involved in the European Super League, but it isn't sanctioning them immediately either. The clubs may have betrayed everybody in football, said La Liga president Javier Tebas, but "let's not rush in. Everyone wants to cut people's heads off. Most important, the clubs have been sanctioned by their fans."

Tebas was speaking at a virtual media conference on Thursday where he was repeatedly probed by journalists from all over the world whether Real Madrid and Barcelona would be punished for being part of the breakaway 20-team league.

Instead, Tebas called on Europe's top clubs to prune expenses.

"Instead of three or four Ferraris, they can have one Ferrari," said Villarreal's president Fernando Roig who had joined the call along with heads of Sevilla, Real Betis, Valencia and Levante.

Roig said it is understandable that the salaries of Real and Barcelona players would be two or three times of that players are paid in some clubs, but "it cannot be 14 times higher." The salaries of some players are outrageous, said Real Betis' president Angel Haro. Lionel Messi's wages at Barcelona are said to be around €565,000 a week.

Though Tebas said the idea of a breakaway league has "dissolved like a lump of sugar" because German clubs and English clubs would never be in such a competition, dismissing the claim of its founding chairman and Real president Florentino Perez that it is on hold, he called for Fifa to take a firm stand.

"I would like him to more clearly state what he thinks about all this," said Tebas referring to Fifa president Gianni Infantino."

Tebas said the Super League had claimed Infantino was supporting them but that "lie" has now been nailed. Speaking at a Uefa Congress, Infantino had said: If some elect to go their own way then they must live with the consequences of their choice, they are responsible for their choice. Concretely this means, either you are in, or you are out. You cannot be half in and half out. This has to be absolutely clear."

But Tebas said: "The role of Infantino does concern me. I've been saying this a long time. "(Uefa president Aleksander) Ceferin believes Infantino more than I do. I really doubt Infantino."