At the beginning of the electoral process, many questions remain open about the future of the RFEF

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Complete calm... for the moment

The current situation of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) could be defined as the excellent film starring a stellar Nicole Kidman and a superb Sam Neill.

The course of the RFEF in recent months has been one of absolute bewilderment, without a helmsman or skipper, and could be summed up as... collision course. The lack of leadership is an unquestionable reality and no matter how much they try to give an image of normality, the federation is immersed in a major crisis at all levels. The positive results of the different national teams, especially the one led by Luis de la Fuente, have helped to salvage the current RFEF's much-maligned image.

We all know that calm in the RFEF is a matter of a few days. The electoral process has finally begun. It is not known whether Pedro Rocha, former president of the RFEF, disqualified by the TAD and charged by the Court No. 4 of Majadahonda, has filed an injunction before the competent body. There is a lot of silence. If he fails in this agonising attempt to hold on to his last chances of presiding over the RFEF, there are many presidents queuing up and eager to take the post. More than one in private considers the man from Extremadura to have been written off and is looking forward to his return to his hometown to continue running the fashion shops he has in the beautiful city of Cáceres.

Names are being bandied about from Rocha's entourage, some of his most loyal supporters during these months at the head of the RFEF. Some of them want to run as soon as Pedro Rocha is definitively ruled out. These things are always like that. As Giulio Andreotti said: ‘There are close friends, friends, acquaintances, adversaries, enemies, mortal enemies and .... party colleagues’.

Rafael Louzán, President of La Gallega, Rocha's unconditional support during the last year, is one of those names that are being mentioned. The Galician has been the great point of union between Rocha and Javier Tebas. Louzán is from the Galician PP - he even presided over the Pontevedra deputation - and has a big obstacle in order to be able to run. Louzán has been disqualified for seven years for the crime of prevarication. Although he lodged an appeal in cassation before the Supreme Court, sources consulted do not see the Galician as having a chance of getting off the hook. Another name that is being bandied about is that of the president of the Murcian federation, José Miguel Monje, the most important figure in Spanish futsal, as he presides over the committee. From the old guard of Ángel María Villar, the Murcian is hesitating whether to run himself or promote someone he trusts to manage the RFEF from the shadows.

These are some of the names from Rocha's entourage who want to run once the Cáceres native falls. In recent days, another possible candidate, Álvaro de Miguel, the current secretary general of the RFEF, also from Extremadura and promoted by Pedro Rocha to this very important position in a sports federation, has been gaining momentum. The secretary joined the RFEF during the Villar era and his appointment as secretary by Rocha has come as a great surprise, especially after a professional such as Andreu Camps, with an excellent track record and experience, had already occupied the post.  

In other words, there is total calm in Pedro Rocha's entourage, although many of his unconditional supporters already see the future of the RFEF without him and are waiting for the final chapter to close the book.