LaLiga chief Tebas resigns to call new elections

LaLiga president Javier Tebas announced his resignation on Wednesday in order to call for new elections, where he will attempt to win a fourth straight term.

Tebas' resignation does not come as a surprise, with the Spaniard having served in the role since 2013 and his four-year term due to end on Dec. 23.

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The process of electing a new president takes around one month and it has been brought forward to avoid clashing with the presidential elections for the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which will take place in the first trimester of 2024.

Tebas said in a post on social media: "A few minutes ago I presented my resignation as President of @LaLiga prior to the end of my term, which ended on December 23. A new electoral process will open in which I will present myself, so I will request the endorsement and trust of the clubs to take on the challenges at hand."

The 61 year-old is unlikely to face competition as reportedly has the support among the presidents of clubs in the Spanish first and second divisions. He ran unopposed for elections in 2013 and 2019.

Tebas has worked on strengthening the finances of the country's first and second division teams and has been pushing for the LaLiga to match the Premier League's economic strength.

He has also pushed hard to increase the visibility of LaLiga worldwide, signing long-term agreements with ESPN to broadcast games in the United States.

Tebas has been a vocal critic of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain's spending power and has accused "state-owned football clubs" of breaching UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.