The new RFEF president has won the post with 90 votes, although he may have to step down in February

Full article

Rafael Louzán is the new president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation

Rafael Louzán was announced on Monday as the new president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following a vote held at the City of Las Rozas. The new president received 90 votes from the 138 members of the assembly who took part. The elections for the RFEF presidency have generated multiple conflicts between the candidates, which left serious doubts as to whether a president would emerge from these ballots, as a president can only win if there is an absolute majority, this time set at 70 votes.

Despite the doubts, Louzán received 90 votes, Gomar 43 and there were four blank votes and one invalid vote. The president of the Galician Federation was the candidate agreed by 19 territorial associations and the one with the highest number of endorsements - 51. As did his opponents, Merchán - who eventually withdrew - and Gomar, the current RFEF president ran for the post once it was confirmed that Pedro Rocha, who was to be president, failed to obtain the precautionary suspension of the two-year disqualification imposed on him by the Administrative Court of Sport (TAD). Louzán will now preside over the RFEF until 2028, although he may have to step down in February.

Rafael Louzán, in addition to being president of the Galician Federation, is a civil servant in the Local Administration and in 1995 he was deputy mayor in the city council of Ribadumia. That year he was elected deputy of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra and the following year he was vice-president of the institution, which he became president in 2003. He also served as president of the Partido Popular in Pontevedra for 15 years (from 2000 to 2015). It was in this position where he was sentenced to seven years of disqualification from public office for granting 86,311 euros to a company to carry out works to improve the football field in Moraña that were practically already executed.

However, Louzán has assured that he has blind faith in justice and that the Supreme Court (SC) will uphold the appeal against his conviction, which dates back to 2013, and, therefore, remain in the post of president of the RFEF. Since, according to article 19.4 of the Federation's statutes, one of the indispensable requirements to be president is not to be disqualified from holding public office. The SC has admitted his appeal and the hearing will take place in February.