Spanish Football League President Javier Tebas has admitted it is him who sets the controversial kick-off times in La Liga.
Tebas has come under constant fire from supporters this season, with shouts of “Tebas vete ya!” (“Tebas go now!”) heard at numerous grounds around the country, and in an interview published in El Confidencial he confirmed that he is the person responsible for the schedule.
“The times I decide on are in agreement with DTS (Satellite Television Distributors) and the game shown on Canal Plus,” he maintained.
“I’ve been working in this way for around 18 months and have consulted with the television operators, but it’s me who makes the decisions.
“I understand that sometimes the kick-off times the operators want are not the best for football.
“However, I’ve always defended the distribution of start times as it’s very important for medium and small clubs to get audio-visual exposure, both at a national and international level.
“They didn’t have that before and it’s something that will allow them to grow abroad.”
Tebas also commented on the cries for his head that have been heard at so many games during the 2014-15 campaign, with many fans complaining the 10pm local time kick-offs mean they are unable to take their children to matches..
“Sometimes, when I’m watching at home I hear the chants and even my sons shout it at me. But they usually come from those areas where we want to expel some fans or change their behaviour.
“I don’t like it but it’s something I have to put up with as a result of the measures we’ve taken against intolerance and violence inside the stadiums.
“There are other things that concern me more than “Tebas vete ya!” he insisted.
