MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid called for a new Spanish league president on Tuesday, arguing that Javier Tebas’ comments against the club regarding refereeing complaints were “intolerable.”
Madrid released a statement hours after Tebas criticized the club for attacking the refereeing crew in the team's 2-1 loss at Atletico Madrid on Sunday. It said that “given this inappropriate behavior,” Spanish soccer “urgently needs a leader capable of managing it and developing its full potential with the fundamental duty of neutrality.”
“It needs someone who understands the nature of their role, as the president of La Liga is not the owner of the competition but a manager serving the clubs that comprise it and entrust him with its direction,” Real Madrid said. “The clubs need someone who serves this mission with honesty.”
Tebas responded to Madrid's statement saying he “fully" agreed with one thing: "The president of La Liga is not the owner of the competition. Neither is the president of Real Madrid.”
“I am neither the owner of La Liga nor will I manage it as if it belonged to a single club,” Tebas said on social media. "I respect everyone. I am beholden to no one.”
Madrid and Tebas have often traded barbs on various issues related to Spanish and European soccer.
Madrid said Tuesday it does not accept Tebas' use of “his institutional position to continue discrediting and attacking Real Madrid.”
“It is also very concerning that someone who is responsible for representing and protecting the interests of all La Liga clubs is repeatedly obsessed with targeting Real Madrid, turning our club into a constant subject of his public attacks,” it said.
Tebas said on X that Madrid is always finding an excuse to complain, and that it uses the alleged referees' mistake as a way to hide its deficiencies. Tebas was responding to an article that talked about an alleged conspiracy against Madrid.
“To claim that referees are targeting Real Madrid is to live in another galaxy,” Tebas said. “That narrative serves as a smokescreen to mask other shortcomings that are glaringly obvious in these opening matches of the season.”
The defeat to Atletico left Real Madrid in fourth place after seven league rounds, six points behind leader Barcelona.
Madrid said that Tebas' “latest remarks are particularly serious and incomprehensible, unbecoming of a responsible manager.”
“It is utterly surprising that the president of La Liga dedicates his time and personal platforms to constantly trying to publicly discredit Real Madrid, instead of contributing, from the responsibility of his position, to fostering trust in the institutions that must ensure the impartiality of the competition,” Madrid said. "By doing so, he continues to damage the image of our competition and Spanish soccer worldwide."
Real Madrid coach José Mourinho took a piece of paper with photos to the post-match news conference on Sunday, saying there were “two clear red cards” that weren’t shown to Atletico players. The Madrid coach then spent nearly five minutes complaining of “strange” things that have happened to his team this season and in the past.
Atletico on Monday called for an end to “refereeing harassment.” It went to social media with a message reading “stop refereeing harassment now," accompanied by a video showing an image of Mourinho emerging from a printer.
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Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho, right, gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in Madrid, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho speaks to Referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in Madrid, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
NEW YORK (AP) — In a change of direction, the New York Mets hired interim manager Andy Green for the full-time job on Tuesday, giving him a three-year contract.
The team made the announcement before starting its final road trip of the year with the opener of a three-game series in Texas against the Rangers.
“Over the course of the season, it became evident that the next manager of the New York Mets was already in place,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said in a statement. “Andy has demonstrated strong leadership qualities and a unique ability to forge connections with our emerging core and distinguished veterans. I look forward to continuing our great partnership as we turn toward the 2027 season.”
Green, who managed the San Diego Padres from 2016-19, had been running New York's farm system before taking over as interim manager when Carlos Mendoza was fired in late June. At the time, Green said he wasn't particularly interested in becoming a permanent skipper again, citing the desire to keep spending time with his three daughters and saying he viewed his interim role on the bench as more of a responsibility to the club than a personal opportunity.
Stearns said Green would return to a front-office role after the season, a stance the executive stuck to in the months that followed — even as the last-place Mets (71-85) improved on the field and several rookies who rose through the minors under Green such as Carson Benge and Nolan McLean flourished in the big leagues as well.
“The players in the clubhouse have rekindled the love I have for being in the dugout," Green said at a pregame news conference in Texas.
And in the end, the Mets committed to Green and chose not to conduct a full search for a new manager this offseason.
“I think Andy is the perfect person for this job,” Stearns said.
“Andy has connected with and pushed our players to perform, despite the disappointment of the season,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in the statement. “Over the last several months he has brought discipline, accountability and positivity to the clubhouse, attributes we were seeking in our next manager. ... We are excited for his continued leadership in the dugout.”
Coming into the season, the Mets had high expectations for a franchise without a World Series title since 1986. New York opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax.
But the Mets underperformed early and were beset by key injuries to Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and others. They were 34-47 at the midpoint of the season when Mendoza was fired on June 26. The team is 37-38 since Green took over.
“The last three months I think there’s been progress,” Green said. “We’ve got more to do.”
The 49-year-old Green, a former major league infielder, went 274-366 as Padres manager and finished with a losing record in all four seasons. He joined the Mets in 2023 as senior vice president of baseball development and becomes the 26th manager in franchise history.
“I am excited and humbled to officially be named manager of the New York Mets,” Green said in the statement. “When I accepted the interim role, I didn’t anticipate it becoming permanent, but the more time I spent with our players and staff, the clearer it became that this is where my passion and experience could make the greatest impact. That realization led to many conversations with my family, and together we agreed this is the right opportunity at the right time.
"I want to thank Steve and Alex for the love, ambition and commitment with which they lead this organization, and David for the trust he has placed in me. I believe deeply in what we can build together, and I’m honored to continue serving our players, this organization and the amazing Mets fans.”
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New York Mets interim manager Andy Green, left, takes the ball from pitcher Christian Scott during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
New York Mets interim manager Andy Green answers questions during a news conference, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
