The Spanish government resolved on Thursday to form a committee to “oversee” the country’s scandal-plagued football federation (RFEF) and try to bring it out of crisis.
“The Spanish government adopted this decision to redress the serious situation of the RFEF so that the organisation could enter a stage of renewal in a stable climate,” the National Sports Council (CSD), an institution reliant on the Ministry of Sports, declared.
Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are scheduled to host the 2030 World Cup, but the RFEF has been plagued by scandals in recent months.
The Commission for Standardization and Development (CSD) announced the establishment of “commission of supervision, standardisation and representation” with the help of “independent personalities” whose job it is to “oversee the RFEF during the coming months in response to the federation’s crisis and in defence of Spain’s general interests” .
According to the Spanish press, Vicente del Bosque, former Spain coach and 2010 World Cup winner, could be among the commission’s members.
However, FIFA and UEFA, the international and European football governing organizations, released a statement expressing “great concern” about the circumstances surrounding the RFEF.
“FIFA and UEFA will seek additional information to assess the extent to which the CSD’s appointment (of the committee)… may affect the RFEF’s obligation to manage its affairs independently and without undue government interference,” they said.
FIFA banned Zimbabwe and Kenya’s memberships due to government influence in 2022, but later lifted the restrictions.
Former RFEF president Luis Rubiales resigned in disgrace last September after forcing a kiss on the lips of Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, and he is now being investigated in a separate corruption probe.
Pedro Rocha, the lone contender to succeed Rubiales, is also being probed, and a report from the country’s top sports court claims the RFEF made decisions “beyond its remit.”
One such decision was to renew Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s contract in February.
The sport court’s report prompted Thursday’s CSD decision to oversee the federation.
Elections for the RFEF presidency are set for May 6.
Jose Manuel Uribe, Secretary of State for Sport and President of the CSD, encouraged the RFEF on Thursday to limit its functions to “the mere ordinary administration of the entity, as required by law.”
‘Unacceptable situation’
The CSD will meet again next Tuesday to assess the situation and, if required, rule on the corruption case filed by the sports court against Rocha, who took over for Rubiales on an interim basis.
In a year when the RFEF will be in charge of Spain’s teams at the European Championship and the Olympic Games, the Spanish government aims “to restore the reputation, good name, and image of Spanish football and complete the electoral process with a renewed assembly for the 2024-2028 period,” according to Uribes in the CSD statement.
“We have to look after what we have in the future, the immediate future, which is the planning of the World Cup,” Uribes said in an appearance at Spain’s Congress of Deputies.
He pledged that the government will do everything to sort out the “unacceptable situation” at the RFEF.
Uribes also said he was “in constant communication with FIFA” regarding the RFEF.
“The CSD is going to guarantee that Spanish football maintains its excellence at the sporting level and also stands out as exemplary at the institutional level,” Uribes insisted on Thursday.