La Liga president Javier Tebas says that he sees Atletico Madrid as favourites to beat city rivals Real Madrid in this season's Champions League final, while Spanish club's European success shows that his league is the best in the world.
This year's decider offers Atletico a chance for revenge for the final two years ago in Lisbon, when they seemed set for a first ever European Cup, but Sergio Ramos equalised in the 93rd minute, and Madrid went on to win 4-1 in extra time for their Decima, or 10th trophy.
The clubs now go forward to a rematch in Milan on May 28, with self-confessed Blancos fan Tebas feeling that Atletico battling past Bayern Munich in the semifinals had been more impressive than Madrid's more straightforward 1-0 aggregate win over Manchester City.
"I see the final very evenly balanced," Tebas said. "But after the semifinals, and with Atletico's intensity, I would make them favourites."
This year's Europa League final will also feature a Spanish club, after Sevilla kept alive their chance to lift the trophy for a third successive year by eliminating Shakhtar Donetsk 5-3 on aggregate. Only Liverpool, who overcame Villarreal 3-1 over two legs, stopped a clean sweep of the European finals for La Liga.
Looking deeper, Spanish sides have won 15 of 16 ties against teams from other countries in UEFA knockouts this season, and 45 of the last 49 two-legged meetings in European competition. They are also 17-2 up in their last 19 meetings with Premier League opponents.
Tebas said that the continuing European success was even more extraordinary given it has happened amid a financial clean-up campaign lead by La Liga's authorities. Figures released this week showed that Spain's professional clubs' total net debt had fallen by €168.5 million in the last two years, although it still stands at €1.8 billion. The total owed by all Spanish clubs in unpaid taxes had fallen from €643m in December 2012 to €288m in December 2015.
"For the Spanish league it is an extraordinary success what is happening," Tebas said. "If you balance up the financial side, and the sporting side, the Spanish league is the best in the world. Sometimes the work by club directors who must manage the finances and sign coaches and players, is not valued enough. We have been at the top level for some years now."
Tebas was speaking as it was announced that the 2016-17 La Liga campaign would be played between Aug. 21 and May 21, while the traditional two-week winter break is set to be re-introduced.
In the wake of Leicester's shock Premier League win this season, Tebas was asked if he believed the move towards a more balanced sharing of La Liga's TV revenues could spark something similar in Spain.
"You always want the best team to win the competition," he said. "I believe that the new sharing out of audiovisual rights, which has begun this season and will be deeper next season, will give more teams more opportunities. In two or three years there will be more teams fighting for the title."