Why did they applaud Luis Rubiales if clearly his speech had neither head nor tail? Why didn’t the federation assembly stand up to get the immediate departure of its president, if the social clamor was tremendous? Why go through that embarrassment? Fundamentally for clientelism and for returning favors provided.
Since he came to the armchair in 2018, Rubiales has been weaving a network of support, especially thanks to the distribution of money. The Spanish Federation that he inherited had a budget of 160 million and that figure has skyrocketed to reach 382 million.
Rubiales has pocketed a part of these dividends. At first he received a fixed salary of 160,000 euros plus some variables (this is an important issue) of 0.15% of the total annual income settled excluding public subsidies. No member of the assembly voted against this compensation, which also included the cost of a house in Madrid, since Rubiales’ residence was fixed in Valencia. Currently the leader has been receiving as federative president 675,761.87 euros gross (371,669.03 euros net). To this must be added what he has been receiving as vice president of UEFA, which some sources place at 250,000 euros gross.
But, of course, if the mana was only for him, he would have obtained less support. It is about distributing dividends among as many people as possible, at least among the fundamental ones. In this sense, Rubiales, who hired his former teammate at Levante Ettien, who was going through financial difficulties, as a federation driver, has boasted that the agreement to bring the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia has been a lifeline for modest football, some 20 million euros for non-professional categories (from 60,000 euros for Third Federation clubs to 350,000 for First Federation clubs).
A good way to gain footholds, as was the new policy with the presidents of the territorial federations. Until his arrival, almost all the regional presidents had no salary and worked with a regime (in some cases very beneficial) of allowances, which could go up to 4,000 euros. To put an end to this, Rubiales distributed 100,000 euros to each territorial federation, money that in some places is used to make reforms and professionalize the institution and in others so that the president on duty has a salary. “We have never been as good as now.” That is the message that has emanated from some territorial federations. It is openly commented and Rubiales himself boasted of “having carried out the best management in the history of the Federation.” It cannot be hidden that treating potential voters in this way has greatly favored the interests of the now suspended president of the RFEF. Behind the scenes it is clear that Rubiales has known how to move, until his unacceptable behavior at the World Cup arrived.
When he joined the machinery of the Spanish Federation and ceased to be president of the AFE soccer players union, the one in charge of the RFEF was the everlasting Ángel María Villar.
However, some time later, Rubiales, as a member at that time of the CSD Board of Directors, did not shake his pulse when it came to voting in favor of the disqualification of Villar for the Soule case (an alleged diversion of funds). Paradoxically, this Board of Directors can play a fundamental role in the disqualification of Rubiales, already provisionally suspended by FIFA.
