Tebas goes nuclear on Cloudflare CEO: 'You're the Narco Maduro of the internet'
LaLiga president Javier Tebas launches scathing attack on Cloudflare's Matthew Prince over piracy issues, also calling out Elon Musk and JD Vance in the process.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has absolutely rinsed Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince in a no-holds-barred social media exchange, comparing him to Venezuelan dictator Maduro in a blistering attack over online piracy.
The piracy problem
Tebas, never one to mince his words, has been on a crusade against illegal streaming for donkey’s years. The LaLiga boss took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to Prince after the Cloudflare CEO complained about a $17 million fine from the Italian government for pirated content.
Prince had tried to frame the fine as internet censorship - a position that sent Tebas absolutely spare.
‘Narco Maduro’ comparison
In what might be the most savage burn I’ve seen from a football administrator, Tebas accused Prince of “becoming the ‘Narco Maduro’ of the internet” - referencing the controversial Venezuelan president while suggesting Prince was:
- Hiding behind the banner of “freedom” to demand impunity
- Confusing anti-piracy measures with censorship
- Enabling infrastructure that protects and monetizes stolen content
Tebas didn’t stop there, mind you. He went full Adam and the Ants - taking aim at some proper big hitters:
Broadening the attack
The LaLiga president also called out:
- Elon Musk: Telling the X owner this wasn’t some “dark committee” making arbitrary decisions but actual judicial orders that Cloudflare “systematically ignores”
- JD Vance: Informing Trump’s VP that this was about “legality and compliance” and that Cloudflare should “pay the price” if it wants to be a “safe haven”
It’s not the first time Tebas has gone in two-footed on tech companies. The LaLiga chief has consistently pushed for stronger action against piracy, which he sees as an existential threat to football’s broadcast revenue model.
Whether this particular social media dust-up will have any practical effect remains to be seen, but one thing’s crystal - Tebas isn’t backing down in this particular scrap.