A new controversy has emerged at LaLiga following an investigation by El Español, which alleges that the league used the signatures of three members of its anti-piracy unit on 1,352 reports without their authorisation or knowledge. The documents accuse bars and restaurants across Spain of broadcasting football matches without a licence and have reportedly been submitted as evidence in criminal and civil proceedings before more than 100 courts.

Prepared at LaLiga's offices in Madrid between March and May 2025, the reports concern establishments in all 17 autonomous communities. According to the newspaper, the alleged procedure involved inserting an image containing the three employees' signatures into the section reserved for file supervisors, giving the impression that they had reviewed the reports. However, those affected claim that no such reviews took place.

The most serious allegation concerns LaLiga president Javier Tebas. El Español claims to have obtained an email sent to his official address on September 16, with a subject line referring to the use of handwritten signatures on reports submitted to legal proceedings. According to the Outlook records accessed by the newspaper, Tebas opened the message three days later, on September 19, at 9:27 a.m.

In the email, the three verifiers reportedly stated that they had not prepared the reports attributed to them or personally added their signatures to each document. They also claimed that their signatures had appeared on inspection reports carried out by other people. One employee responsible for the Madrid area was even listed as a supervisor for inspections in Vizcaya, Murcia, and Asturias. All three were dismissed this summer as part of a collective redundancy procedure.

LaLiga has strongly rejected the allegations. Sources within the organisation deny that signatures were used without the employees' knowledge, claim to have evidence supporting their position, and have announced legal action against accusations they consider defamatory and libellous. The league also points to existing legal disputes with some of the former employees in both criminal and labour courts.

Ultimately, the courts will have to establish whether any crime was committed and determine who is responsible. However, the controversy has already raised serious questions about LaLiga's internal procedures and its public image. Tebas has made the fight against piracy one of his main priorities, even acknowledging that he devotes a significant part of his time to the issue. Now, the league president, who has frequently questioned Real Madrid's conduct and demanded greater rigour from the club, faces questions about what was happening within his own organisation.

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