The doubtful no of the federation to the motion of censure against Luis Rubiales

Luis Rubiales still has not resigned and the movements undertaken so far by Pedro Rocha, the interim president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) appointed by the same Granada leader, do not point to a departure from the previous management. Promoting the motion of censure after the joint request for resignation by Rocha and the presidents of the territorial ones is the most logical step if Rubiales remains fixed on not presenting his voluntary resignation.

Rocha traveled to Monaco this Thursday to attend the Champions League draw. His response was empty when asked what he and his barons will do if Rubiales – in the spotlight since he gave a non-consensual kiss to soccer player Jenni Hermoso at the World Cup celebrations – does not heed the joint request for resignation. what they did to him last Monday. “Work, work and work. That’s where everything comes from. We have sailed many times against the wind and now it is time again. National football is very proud of what is being done,” said the Extremaduran leader. The word motion of censure did not come out of his mouth.

Rocha and all the barons knew in advance that the Granada leader would not resign despite being unanimously asked to do so. “He won’t even do it,” says one of them, who says he is willing to fight for the motion of censure to be presented if Rubiales remains determined not to resign.

The most obvious gesture in the eyes of the Government that the federation is not still in the hands of Rubiales would be the motion of censure. This step would permanently dislodge him from the armchair to which he clings, but his shadow is long. The federation leaked yesterday that it is not possible to promote the motion of censure because the ministerial order that regulates electoral processes in sports federations prevents it. This, at least, is interpretable. Point 19 of the aforementioned order says: “He may not appear during the first six months of his mandate, nor when between six months and one year remain until the date from which the call for elections can be held, a circumstance to be determined by the federative norms”.

Rubiales was re-elected on September 21, 2020, but the rule says that it does not have to be fair four years after completing the term. Furthermore, since 2024 is an Olympic year, the regulations also dictate that the electoral process begins after the Games because the Spanish men’s team is classified. At the current time, there would be time until the first third of October to activate the motion of censure. If this goes ahead, and taking into account that the electoral process lasts at most three months – it includes the election of the assembly that votes for the president – the federation could perfectly hold the elections between December 15 and 31, 2024 at the latest.

There is an exception to the rule that says that with a team qualified for the Games, elections must be called starting in the second semester. The federation may send a reasoned letter to the CSD alleging the reasons why it requests the electoral advance. If Rocha ordered this request, effectively, by law the motion could not be promoted, which would favor Rubiales’ interest in remaining in office until FIFA issues its final sanction in the coming weeks. That of the Administrative Court of Sports, if it finally opens a file against Rubiales for very serious misconduct, would be delayed in time.

Suspicions that Rocha follows Rubiales’ guidelines because he appointed him as interim successor increase every day. Asked about this yesterday, he was more emphatic in his response than with the motion of censure. “I am from the Royal Spanish Football Federation, from no one else.” He was also forceful to deny that he is in contact with Rubiales and to confirm the senior coach Luis de la Fuente. This is highly questioned socially because the assembly stood up to applaud Rubiales as soon as he said that “the false feminism that exists in Spain is a scourge.”

The vagueness in Rocha’s answers reappeared with two other delicate issues. The first when he was questioned about the alleged leak from the federation of the video in which Jenni Hermoso and her companions during the flight back to Spain, still in the midst of the euphoria over the conquered world championship, joke about the kiss of Rubiales. “I only talked about soccer,” she remarked. Regarding the continuity of the general secretary Andreu Camps, who in his desire to maintain the blondeism On Friday he sent a letter to UEFA to intimidate the Government with the exclusion of Spanish clubs and the selection from international competitions, Rocha outlined another superfluous reply. “First you have to position yourself. The institution needs a lot of work. We have to analyze the points on which we have to work. And until we have them well analyzed we cannot say absolutely anything,” he said.

Camps, major words

Federal sources assure that it is not easy to do without Camps because he knows well the ins and outs of the daily operation of the house and they praise his ability to work. Among some barons, difficulties are also observed in terminating the business relationship with the external legal advisor Tomas Gonzalez Cueto, who invoices hundreds of thousands of euros per year to the federation. “He has become a millionaire,” says a federation employee. Other sources, also based in the Las Rozas Football City, speak of the opposition to dismissing Camps and dispensing with Gonzalez Cueto because they have a lot of information about the five barons investigated within the framework of Operation Soule that ended the eternal mandate. by Angel Maria Villar. Jacinto Alonso (Rioja), Jose Miguel Monje (Murcia), Jose Angel Pelaez (Cantabria), Antonio Garcia Gaona (Ceuta) and Diego Martinez (Melilla) remain in the case. The five supported Rubiales’ first election as president of the federation in 2018. Rocha also did it, aiming at easy targets like Jorge Vilda or the president of the Technical Committee of Referees, Medina Cantalejo, to make the Government see that it is distancing itself from Rubiales. Camps and Gonzalez Cueto are big words for Rocha.

You can follow EL PAIS Deportes in Facebook and Twitteror sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.