Spain’s Supreme Court clears RFEF president of malfeasance

Spain’s Supreme Court has upheld an appeal by Rafael Louzán, the new president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) against his conviction on charges of malfeasance and a seven-year ban.

As reported previously, the RFEF, the governing body that runs football in Spain, elected Rafael Louzán following the scandal involving previous leader Luis Rubiales’ non-consensual kiss of female Spanish footballer, Jenni Hermoso, following Spain’s win at the Women’s World Cup in 2023 in Australia.

Despite producing successful results, ongoing challenges related to institutional and governance issues have persisted within the RFEF. Even prior to the Rubiales scandal, former RFEF president Pedro Rocha, who succeeded Rubiales, was subject to a two-year period of ineligibility to stand as a candidate for the presidency due to actions deemed inappropriate. Spain’s superior sports court, the Sports Administrative Court (TAD), concluded that the September 2023 dismissal of 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 with the Popular Party, was accused of embezzlement for granting a €93,000 subsidy for the renovation of the Moraña stadium during this role in 2011.

However, as reported by Reuters, the Supreme Court, which had taken up Louzán’s appeal before his election, said on Thursday it had annulled the lower court ruling that prohibited Louzán from holding public office for seven years.

Regarding the case, the contractor undertook improvements not initially foreseen and after the works were completed, the provincial authority of Pontevedra, led by Louzán, called a new tender with the intention of awarding it to the company that had already done the job.

The Supreme Court said in its ruling 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.

The Supreme Court’s verdict prevents the RFEF from facing further complications and the need for a new election. Louzán’s term of office ends in 2028.

Louzán, who is leading the RFEF as Spain gears up to co-host the 2030 World Cup, told reporters that it had taken 14 years “for justice to be served” but said: “I'm satisfied.”

The verdict comes in the same week as Rubiales went on trial at Madrid's High Court, where he faces accusations of sexual assault.