On Friday, the Spanish football federation announced Pedro Rocha as its new president, following the resignation of the former president Luis Rubiales last September amid controversy.
Rocha, who is currently being investigated in a corruption case related to the federation, had been serving as the interim president and was the sole candidate for the upcoming May election.
The Spanish government decided to intervene and oversee the federation this week, citing the need to address the ongoing crisis within the organization.
According to a statement from the federation, Rocha received the majority support from the assembly members, leading to his official appointment as president by the electoral commission.
Despite the controversies, the National Sports Council (CSD) of Spain did not suspend Rocha during its meeting on Thursday, which discussed setting up a committee to monitor the federation. This decision allowed Rocha, age 69, to be appointed permanently.
Spain’s top sports court had previously reported that the federation, under Rocha’s temporary leadership, had made decisions outside its authority, prompting the CSD’s oversight action.
Both FIFA and UEFA expressed significant concerns regarding this governance issue and planned to request further details to determine if the government’s involvement might infringe on the federation’s independence.
Rocha and Rubiales are both implicated in the ongoing corruption investigation. Rubiales had resigned after causing a global uproar by forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso.
Spain, along with Portugal and Morocco, is set to host the 2030 World Cup.
