La Liga president Javier Tebas wants on-loan Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood to stay in Spain beyond his season-long loan with Getafe.
Former England international Greenwood joined the La Liga club on deadline day in September, moving after United reversed a decision to keep the product of the academy after an internal investigation into his conduct undertaken after a legal case against him collapsed.
“I am a lawyer,” Tebas told the Financial Times Business of Football Conference in London, according to BBC Sport.
“If someone came out of a legal case innocent, there is nothing else to say. You should respect legal process.
“People might be condemning him in the press but you have to respect the legal decision. There is nothing else to talk about. He wasn’t [found guilty] here, so I don’t care.”
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who took over football operations at Old Trafford earlier this month, told the outlet in an interview last week that Greenwood’s situation could be reviewed by United, although the businessman did not articulate a more specific position on the 22-year-old’s future.
Greenwood has seven goals and five assists in 25 appearances for Getafe this season, leading Tebas to describe him as “bringing value”.
Greenwood ‘good’ for Spain
“He is doing really well as a player and I hope he continues to stay in Spanish football,” said Tebas.
“That is good for us. It is very important to have the best players in the world playing in La Liga.
“I don’t think anyone expected him to make the impact that he has. I hope he continues like that for many years.”
When pressed further on the matter, Tebas said if a player had “not been condemned” it was not for La Liga to put him on trial.
La Liga is investigating a formal complaint from Getafe about an alleged remark made by Real Madrid forward Jude Bellingham towards Greenwood during a match on February 1, with the league requesting a report from a lip-reading expert and the investigation yet to conclude.
“He is not one of the best English players – he is the best English player at the moment,” Tebas said of Bellingham, who has been involved in 26 goals in 26 appearances in La Liga and the Uefa Champions League this season, scoring 20 times.
