La Liga chief Javier Tebas has dismissed Diego Simeone’s complaints about the League schedule as the Atletico Madrid boss “is a primetime Coach”.
Simeone sarcastically claimed he was “happy people in China could watch us” against Sporting Gijon on Saturday as his side, having needed penalties to beat PSV in the Champions League the preceding Tuesday, went down 2-1 at El Molinon, but Tebas insisted La Liga clubs had to “respect” the fixture list.
“El Cholo is a primetime Coach and we want him here forever, as do Atletico,” he said at the unveiling of an agreement with Emirati club Al-Ahli, Marca reports.
“Everyone here is primetime. The schedule deserves respect. Bayern played in the Champions League on Wednesday and then on Saturday at 15:30 [CET].
“Arsenal did too. Atletico played on Tuesday, and that’s La Liga policy.
“I’m concerned that there was more talk about referees on Monday than the stars of La Liga or the football on show.
“Action must be taken. I always say that there are very good referees in Spain, but perhaps we need to introduce technical and technological improvements.
“There were problems over the weekend and those before. [La Liga] should progress as have other competitions. It can’t be that the referee takes centre stage at the end of the game.
“[On Villarreal players complaining via Twitter], I’m generally not fussed about social media, but I am concerned about its use during and after matches.
“It’s not appropriate and we’ll regulate its use. [Players] must be very careful when they express themselves in this manner.
“[On the player who was stabbed during a lower-league game on Sunday], I’ve conveyed my condolences to Sergio, the lad who was stabbed during a game in Spain, and I want him to recover as soon as possible.
“We’re concerned and we’re working hard to end this. I hope the RFEF is aware that there’s a lot of work needed to improve safety at all stadia.”
