The Spanish Football Federation is already moving hand in hand with Pedro Rocha, since Saturday its interim president since FIFA suspended Luis Rubiales from his position for his improper conduct in the Women’s World Cup. In one of his first measures, the former president of the Extremaduran territory has convened for this afternoon an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting of the commission of regional and territorial presidents to analyze the situation, take stock of the damage and draw up a sheet of route. The idea is to convene an assembly of the Federation in the first week of September with the aim of ratifying the situation created. “There is daily work to be done and the Federation cannot be stopped if we want to guarantee its operation,” say sources from it.
One of the first issues to redirect as soon as possible is the issue of the soccer players, including the world champions in Sydney, who do not want to return to the national team while there are leaders linked to the Luis Rubiales stage.
The two absolute coaches, Luis de la Fuente of the men’s and Jorge Vilda of the women’s, want to continue in their positions despite being hurt by their vehement applause for Rubiales at the ceremony in which the former president, contrary to expectations, announced his intention not to resign. However, hours later, the two posted statements criticizing Rubiales’ behavior in Sydney.
Jorge Vilda’s situation is the most complex because eleven members of his technical staff resigned in the following hours. Among the grotesque of Rubiales’ words that day was making public the renewal of Vilda for four years with discovery of salary included, which went from 180,000 euros per year to half a million.
In the case of Luis de La Fuente, portrayed for his applause for Rubiales when he ranted about feminism, the Basque coach plans to announce the next call for official qualifying matches for the Euro Cup in Germany on Friday, September 1.
This afternoon it is possible that the Administrative Court of Sports (TAD) will meet, the competent body that has to study the complaint presented on Friday by the Higher Sports Council (CSD), which understands violations of the Sports Law committed by Luis Rubiales in the celebration of the World Cup final and asks the TAD to adopt the precautionary suspension of the former Levante soccer player. This suspension would go in parallel to the one already decreed by FIFA for 90 days.
Although the TAD, made up of seven jurists, meets on Thursdays, Víctor Francos has made a public request to advance his meeting to today. If the TAD takes the CSD’s arguments into consideration, this body could in turn agree to disqualify Rubiales next Wednesday, in a schedule set out by Víctor Francos himself.
While all these movements are happening, Luis Rubiales spends a few days on vacation with his family in Motril (Granada), the town where he grew up and started playing soccer.
Criticism of Rubiales’ behavior continues to be made among the political class. Among those yesterday, he highlighted those of María Jesús Montero, Minister of Finance and former government spokesperson: “This government will work so that Rubiales does not lead Spanish football again. A person who lies, who has made a show of not having understood what the fight for equality means in an area as important as sport, cannot have the direction of football in this country in his hands. The fact that sexist violence is an element that is normalized by some is over.”
