Javier Tebas: "If professional football doesn't react, the Premier League will become the NBA"

The president of the Liga, Javier Tebas made a resounding speech to representatives of world football and judicial experts at a form on Third Party Ownership (TPO). "If professional football doesn't react, the Premier League will be like the NBA, and the rest of the leagues will be unable to compete on the international stage", he said, adding "If we don't make our leagues stronger, we risk the emergence of a European league".

Before Tebas addressed the audience, João Martins of the Portuguese Liga expressed his concerns for his institution due to TPO, insisting: "We have to urgently make the arguments for these systems of financing. We need to defend our ideas together in order to debate UEFA's decision." 

Martins gave an example to close his speech. "Third party ownership has helped four Portuguese clubs make it to four European finals in the 14 years." 

Javier Tebas followed the Portuguese representative and started his speech with a reflection: "35 years ago we were able to watch very few football matches and we could only watch them in black and white. Now we watch them on pay television, on the internet, in HD. The people who sat in the presidential boxes of those teams then are the same that sit in them now. They haven't been able to adapt to the model of football-business. That’s why they fear TPO."

The leader of Spanish football also explained: "If we don’t adapt to the idea that football is the most important leisure spectacle and that which generates most revenue, we won't know how to lead it.” He also referred to the departure of players from La Liga: "We need investors, people that want to share their wealth, so that other leagues don't take talent from our clubs. If that happens, we’ll be as good as dead." 

Javier Tebas also reiterated the importance of protecting professional football. "If we don't fight for our clubs to have this capacity to access systems of financing, we will kill off professional football."

To this end, Tebas said: "La Liga supports regulation because it attracts capital — we will able to lower the interest rates and create accessible conditions." He added: "Regulation of TPO will contribute further stability to football. This is the business world, and if someone earns money, we will all earn it."