Adriana Garcia
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will hold elections to select a new president on Dec. 16.
The RFEF has been without a president since July, when Pedro Rocha was suspended for two years by Spain’ Sports Council (CSD) due to a serious infraction.
FIFA met in Madrid earlier this month with representatives of the Spanish government and the Spanish FA (RFEF) demanding that a new president be elected in no more than three months.
“Elections for the Presidency and the Delegate Commission will be on December 16, 2024,” an RFEF statement said. “The Royal Spanish Football Federation thus begins the electoral process that it hopes to complete before the end of 2024.”
Rocha took over as interim president after former chief Luis Rubiales resigned in September, weeks after kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent following Spain‘s win over England in the final at the Women’s World Cup in August.
The Spanish government formed a special committee to oversee the country’s football Federation in April “in response to the crisis in the organisation and in defence of the general interest of Spain.”
The committee will be in place until the governing body holds new elections.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente recently admitted his concerns by reports that the country could be stripped of its 2030 World Cup hosting rights because the RFEF has yet to elect a new president. FIFA is due to ratify Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as main hosts of the 2030 tournament at its Congress meeting on Dec.11.
However, the world’s football governing body has always insisted that governments cannot interfere with the running of federations.
Earlier on Friday, the RFEF announced that the Spanish Super Cup will be staged in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in January 2025.
LaLiga champions Real Madrid will take on Copa del Rey runners-up Mallorca on Jan. 8 while Barcelona will play in the second semifinal against Athletic Club one day later.
The final will take place on Jan. 12.