This year’s FIFA Club World Cup is bigger than ever, with 32 teams set to feature in the competition in the same format as the FIFA World Cup, which included eight groups of four teams from 1998 to 2022.

Top clubs from across the world are set to compete for glory in the United States for nearly a month, starting on June 14. However, LaLiga president Javier Tebas does not find it interesting. He instead called it “completely absurd.”

Tebas’ concern stems from the fear that his own product - LaLiga - might be affected due to the Club World Cup, as the league’s two giants - Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid - will play in the tournament. This might result in a delay to the start of their season should they advance to the Round of 16 in July. LaLiga is scheduled to begin on August 16.

“There is already controversy over when Real Madrid and Atletico will start LaLiga, which disrupts our usual football schedule and hurts us in the medium term,” Tebas said in a radio interview with Cadena Cope radio.

“The decision on whether Real Madrid and Atletico will start (LaLiga) later (in order to rest) is not mine alone. It will be made in due course when we see where they stand. But it can’t be that we keep having to constantly change our schedule for other competitions that we are not in favour of.”

Tebas also said that FIFA, the governing body of world football which oversees the Club World Cup and will organize next year’s FIFA World Cup in the Americas, did not consult LaLiga about organizing the CWC. “It is completely absurd,” Tebas said.

“They haven’t consulted us about dates, they haven’t consulted us about anything. What they’re doing is damaging Spanish competition if big teams like Real Madrid or Atletico can’t play on the first day of LaLiga.”