Government slams the door on Luis Rubiales and more women in the federative assemblies | Soccer | Sports

Under the enormous cloud of dust Rubiales case, the Higher Sports Council (CSD) published this Wednesday the draft with which it intends to modify the ministerial order that regulates elections in sports federations. The work began in mid-August, before the great earthquake caused by Luis Rubiales’ non-consensual kiss to Jennifer Hermoso, although the effects of this episode are very present in the text.

One of the most obvious is that, according to the project, Rubiales could never again run for the presidency of the football federation if there is a final conviction from a national or international sports court, or from the disciplinary bodies of the national federation. or international. For now, FIFA suspended him for three months (on August 26) and opened a file against him for his actions at the Sydney celebrations, including his obscene gestures in the box.

The Government considers that, with the ministerial order still in force, the disqualified president would have legal margin to fight a hypothetical candidacy in the future because there is no express prohibition. In his opinion, the new text would permanently close his path. In parallel, the CSD authorized this Wednesday afternoon that elections in the football federation can be held in the first quarter of 2024.

The Government publishes the draft of the new ministerial order that regulates elections in sports federations

The scandal arising from Rubiales’ non-consensual kiss and the subsequent reaction in the football federation once again revealed the clientelistic system of this type of organization, due to the great power of the territorial presidents, and it also tries to act on this crack. the ministerial order. However, the real effect of the measures put in place remains to be seen.

When it comes into force, there will only be one ex officio member in the assembly of each federation: the national president. This leaves the top leaders of the territorial units, whose power it seeks to reduce, out of the initial equation. Each territorial constituency must elect the person to represent it, who will not necessarily be the president, as until now. The CSD presents this issue as a step, although only day to day will tell to what extent these barons see their influence in an assembly diminished. The constituency for amateur sports, in any case, continues to be regional and not national, something that would have posed a greater threat to them. The goal is to reduce your weight while trying to increase that of athletes. In this group, those who have a license and have participated in a competition since the previous election period will be able to vote.

For the first time, a minimum presence of women in assemblies is set

These actions are complemented by a series of initiatives to democratize the elections for members of the assemblies on very basic issues that have not occurred until now, according to the CSD. For example, to vote by mail you must present your ID or passport. In addition, polling stations at the regional level will be mandatory when the number of licenses in a community is equal to or greater than 10% of the national figure.

Another of the axes of the draft is to increase the female presence in federative assemblies. For the first time in a ministerial order of this type, a minimum percentage of women is established in the ranks of athletes, coaches and referees (clubs are considered legal entities). When female licenses are between 0% and 10% in one of these groups, there will be at least 10% women represented in the assembly. That is the minimum, but the proportion will increase if its overall weight is greater. In addition, the Delegate Commission and the Managing Commission of the federations will be made up of at least 40% women. And in the football assembly, for example, of the 18 professional clubs with representation (now there are 20), nine will be men’s and nine women’s. Some measures that refer to the famous photo of the meeting of the territorial women to decide the future of Luis Rubiales, at the end of August, in which the presence of women was insignificant.

The CSD admits that the new ministerial order, which will be applied in all 2024 elections, will not be free of controversy.

The federation creates an Equality Area

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced yesterday the creation of an Equality Area, which will be added to the new Directorate of Equality, Social Responsibility and Sustainability. At the helm will be Marisa González, who was Director of Communication in the first stage with Luis Rubiales. From now on, and until the end of the electoral process, she will also assume institutional communication. The Communication department is divided into two. The second leg will be the sports one, assumed by Enrique Yunta, who was the deputy director of Communication.

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