A Champions League ban for Real Madrid and Barcelona is possible.
- The government commission was accepted by the Spanish Football Federation.
- Controversies have plagued the national body on multiple occasions
- Penalties might lead to expulsion from the Champions League and Euro 2024
After the Women’s World Cup final, Luis Rubiales, the organization’s president at the time, forcibly kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips without getting her permission, putting RFEF in the public eye. FIFA then placed a three-year suspension on him from all football-related activities, and he grudgingly resigned from his post despite his persistent denials of any wrongdoing.
FIFA then placed a three-year suspension on him from all football-related activities, and he grudgingly resigned from his post despite his persistent denials of any wrongdoing.
Rubiales faces a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence from the prosecution. He is also accused of attempting to coerce Hermoso in the aftermath. Other individuals suspected of coercion include former head coach of the women’s team Jorge Vilda, director of the men’s national team Albert Luque, and director of marketing for RFEF Ruben Rivera. All three have denied any involvement in the case.
However, the controversy never stopped. In March, raids by the police resulted in many arrests and the public disclosure of an investigation into charges of corruption, unethical management, and money laundering at RFEF under Rubiales. Rubiales was called to testify in court on Monday as a witness in the investigation. After being imprisoned for a while last month after arriving from the Dominican Republic, he was eventually freed.
The new president of the RFEF was introduced last Friday and is Pedro Rocha, who served as interim president following Rubiales’s departure. Rocha was to be removed from his position due to several infractions, including not adhering to the election regulations, accepting the president’s pay, and terminating the legal challenge to the La Liga and CVC agreement, according to a March court challenge.
Currently, one of the new chief’s initial actions has been to approve a Supervision, Normalization, and Representation Commission, which is led by Spanish football star Vicente Del Bosque and was established by the government’s Department of Education, Professional Training, and Sports.
The commission’s three main responsibilities are to “first represent Spanish football; second, ensure transparency and good performance of the next electoral process that the Federation must experience after the Olympic Games; and third, successfully face the challenges that Spanish football has ahead of it: the European Championship, the Olympic Games, and the 2030 World Cup,” according to Pilar Alegria, a spokesperson for the government ministry, speaking on Tuesday.
RFEF will still be expected to operate autonomously, even though there will be meetings with the commission.
FIFA’s stringent regulations requiring all of its member associations to adhere to “principles of good governance” and be completely free from political influence or meddling, however, may provide issues. To voice their concerns and get further information, FIFA and UEFA have already spoken with Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, the president of the Supreme Council for Sports in Spain
A letter distributed by AS read: “Based on the information available to date, FIFA and UEFA are very concerned that the appointment of the Commission may significantly affect the RFEF’s obligation to manage its affairs independently and without undue influence.”
The following queries were posed, “What factual or legal foundation did the Commission have when it was appointed? Who appointed the members of the Commission and what is their makeup? What precisely is the Commission’s mandate? What authority does the Commission have? What is the connection between the Commission and the RFEF’s statutory decision-making bodies?
The date by which the pertinent information must be shared is Friday, May 3.
FIFA might theoretically suspend Spain as a member association if they are unsatisfied. That would instantly ban the nation from both the 2024 Summer Olympics and Euro and prevent teams from La Liga like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and others from competing in the Champions League or any other club competition run by UEFA. It would also put Uruguay, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay, and Paraguay in jeopardy of sharing the 2030 World Cup as hosts.
FIFA has suspended only Russia as of right now because it invaded Ukraine in 2022.
credit: 90MIN
