Just over two weeks before the elections for the presidency of the RFEFthe candidates who will be part of the electoral process are still unknown. The Federation is immersed in a deep institutional crisis after the disqualification of Pedro Rocha and government intervention so that Rafael Louzan do not present yourself as a candidate for the presidency of the highest body of Spanish football.
The National Court on Thursday ratified the decision of the Administrative Sports Tribunal (TAD) to disqualify Pedro Rocha for the next two years, accused of corruption. Faced with this ruling, the territorial federations favored the candidacy of Rafael Louzanpresident of the Galician Football Federation.
However, if his candidacy is successful, the government will denounce him because he is accused of prevarication. According to The countryhe Higher Sports Council (CSD) It does not make “positive” evaluations of the statuses and is governed by the rules established by sports law: no accused candidate can present themselves.
Indeed, on November 6 The Federation sent a declaration of honor to all candidates who wish to run in the RFEF elections during which they had to sign that they are not disqualified by a final administrative resolution.
If the candidacy of Louzan prosperous and Government decides to intervene by taking legal action, time will determine whether the president of the Galician territorial authority will appear or not. If the Galician’s candidacy is confirmed on Tuesday December 3, the complaint CSD would force it TAD come together in an extraordinary way to paralyze his inauguration.
Previous CSD complaints
In the event that Rafael Louzán is the only candidate for the presidency of the RFEF, he will automatically be proclaimed president on December 6this is why the CSD and the TAD should ask the Federation Electoral Commission that the nomination be suspended until the outcome of the complaint is known.
It wouldn’t be the first time CSD takes sides with the institutional situation of the Federation. On August 26, 2023, they already filed a complaint with the TAD against Luis Rubiales to obtain a “preventive and provisional suspension due to her unacceptable behavior during the final of the Women’s World Football Championship”.
Furthermore, on March 25, the CSD transferred to the TAD the request for disqualify Pedro Rocha in response to the complaint of Miguel Ángel Galán. Finally, the National Court endorsed the TAD’s decision despite the appeals presented by the former president of the management commission to be able to stand for election.
Found guilty of prevarication
Louzán’s legal past adds an element of tension to his rise. In 2021, he was convicted of Provincial Court of Pontevedra by procrastination in the allocation of works on a football field while he was president of Provincial Council of Pontevedra and of Provincial PP.
Rafael Louzán was sentenced to two years in prison and seven years of ban for employment or public office for prevarication and fraud in the renovation of a football field in Moraña.
Almost all of the planned work had already been carried out previously. After his appeal, he was sentenced to prison and to the offense of fraud. Although he The Supreme Court has not yet issued a final decisionTHE Sports law establishes that a final conviction would force him to abandon any position within the RFEF. To protect himself, Louzán modified the statutes of the Galician Federation, removing requirements such as being “in full exercise of civil rights”.
