FIFA and UEFA have sent a letter to the Higher Sports Council in which they request information about the normalization, supervision and representation commission that the president of the government body José Luis Rodríguez Uribes announced last Thursday. The warning letter, revealed by the newspaper ACEconsists of five questions about the aforementioned committee with which the CSD intends to protect the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), already under the presidency of Pedro Rocha after being proclaimed last Friday, and the electoral process for the period 2024- 28 that will be called after the Paris Olympic Games.
The CSD announced that the members of the normalization committee, who are still unknown, would be above any RFEF leader, which alerted FIFA and UEFA of possible government interference. According to CSD sources, the legal foundation of the Supervision, Normalization and Representation Commission is based on the Sports Law. In article 1.2, which indicates that “the General Administration of the State is responsible for the representation of Spanish sport and the public supervision of the sector in those aspects that are considered of general interest for the State” and in chapter II, which recognizes the public interest. general of sport.
It is not clear that the rationale put forward by the CSD can prevent Rocha and the board of directors named after him from having full powers to manage the RFEF. FIFA and UEFA have given the CSD until May 2 to respond to the five questions and warn that if they are not convincing they can take action. The most drastic ones may involve the expulsion of all Spanish teams and clubs from international competitions. The joint organization of the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Morocco may also be affected.
This is the full content of the letter published in As:
Dear Mr. Uribes:
FIFA and UEFA have followed the latest developments in the RFEF with great concern in recent months and have been working closely with our member association at this critical time.
We are now writing to you regarding the appointment by the Higher Sports Council (CSD), on April 25, 2024, of a so-called “Supervision, Standardization and Representation Commission” (hereinafter, the Commission) to oversee the RFEF.
In order to develop a proper understanding of the above Commission, please provide us with detailed information on the following aspects as soon as possible:
– On what legal and/or factual basis was the Commission appointed?
– What is the composition of the Commission and who appointed its members?
– What is the exact mandate of the Commission?
– What are the powers of the Commission?
– What relationship does the Commission have with the statutory decision-making bodies of the RFEF?
Additionally, we request a copy of the minutes of the Board of Directors held on April 25, 2024.
Based on the information available to date, FIFA and UEFA are very concerned that the appointment of the Commission may significantly affect the RFEF’s obligation to manage its affairs independently and without undue influence, in accordance with art. 14 par. 1, let. i) and Art. 19 of the FIFA Statutes and Art. 7bis par. 2 of the UEFA Statutes and therefore request the necessary guarantees that the FIFA and UEFA Statutes are and will continue to be respected.
We thank you for your cooperation and look forward to receiving your comments in time. FIFA and UEFA will evaluate the need for possible additional measures after receiving your comments. If we do not receive the requested information no later than Friday, May 3, 2024, we will be forced to take appropriate measures based on the information we can obtain from the RFEF and the media. In the meantime, we remain at your entire disposal for any questions.
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