Spain: The President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation wins Supreme Court Appeal
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The Spanish Supreme Court has upheld an appeal by Rafael Louzán, the new President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the Governing Body of Spanish Football, against his conviction on charges of malfeasance and a seven-year ban on holding public office.
The RFEF has been beset, for some time, by institutional and governance issues. The former RFEF President, Pedro Rocha, who succeeded Rubiales, was subject to a two-year period of ineligibility as a candidate for the Presidency, due to actions deemed inappropriate. Spain’s Superior Sports Court, the Sports Administrative Court, concluded that the September 2023 dismissal of the former general secretary, Andreu Camps, was an improper use of Rocha’s authority.
Finally, Louzán himself, who was previously leader of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, was accused of embezzlement for granting a €93,000 subsidy for the renovation of the Moraña stadium in 2011.
However, the Spanish Supreme Court, which had granted Louzán’s appeal before he was elected as RFEF President, annulled the lower Court ruling which had prohibited him from holding public office for seven years.
The Supreme Court held that the decision to grant a new subsidy for works not initially foreseen did not constitute the crime of malfeasance as the authorities were already required to pay for the works done.
As a result, the RFEF does not now need to hold a new election for President and, therefore, Louzán will continue in office until his term ends in 2028. Perhaps the RFEF can now concentrate on preparing for the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2030, some of whose matches will be played in Spain.
After the Spanish Supreme Court ruling, he remarked to the media that it had taken him 14 years to obtain justice, but he was satisfied!
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