The Spanish government has established a special committee to oversee the operations of the country’s football federation (RFEF).
This committee will remain in place until new elections are held by the governing body, following the scandal involving its former president, Luis Rubiales.
Rubiales was arrested earlier this month as part of a corruption investigation and is also facing a separate trial for alleged sexual assault. Despite consistent denials of any wrongdoing, Rubiales eventually resigned in September.
The government’s involvement in this matter is a response to the crisis within the organization and is aimed at safeguarding the general interest of Spain, according to the country’s National Sports Council (CSD).
The CSD, which is responsible for sports in Spain, stated that the committee will be led by independent individuals of high standing. Both Fifa and Uefa, the world and European governing bodies of football respectively, are closely monitoring the situation with great concern.
They will seek further information to assess the potential impact of the CSD’s appointment of the “Supervision, Normalisation and Representation Commission” on the RFEF’s obligation to manage its affairs independently and without undue government interference.
Last month, the RFEF headquarters in Madrid were raided by the police as part of an investigation into corruption that occurred during Rubiales’ time as president. As a result, several other members of the federation were fired.
Pedro Rocha, who temporarily took over as president, was also placed under investigation after providing testimony in the corruption probe. Rocha, who was the sole candidate to permanently succeed Rubiales as president, stated that he had no knowledge or responsibility for the investigated events.
In other news, Spain emerged victorious in the women’s World Cup in 2023 by defeating England in the final. Furthermore, they are currently making preparations to co-host the men’s World Cup in 2030.