Spanish Football Federation Election Cancelled: TAD Rules Against RFEF
The Administrative Sports Tribunal (TAD) has annulled the call for elections for the presidency of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which was scheduled for October 7. This decision comes after the Tribunal ruled in favor of an appeal filed by Miguel Ángel Galán, the president of CENAFE, as reported by the legal portal Iusport.
The TAD concluded that a formal declaration of cessation for the previous president, Pedro Rocha, was imperative for the election call to be valid. The Tribunal emphasized that Rocha's disqualification did not automatically result in his cessation. According to TAD, it is essential for the General Assembly, the competent body of the RFEF, to officially declare the cessation.
This determination by the TAD negates the need to evaluate the length of Rocha's term or whether less than six months remained until its completion. Iusport cites that TAD found the RFEF's interpretation erroneous, suggesting that Rocha's disqualification automatically signaled his end in office. The Tribunal clarified that the application of Article 318 of the RFEF's Statutes could not proceed without a prior cessation declaration.
The Tribunal stressed that equating disqualification with cessation fails to meet the necessary criteria for calling elections. The absence of a resolution from the General Assembly prevents recognition that Rocha's cessation occurred, thus halting any application of the election procedures outlined in Article 318.
According to Iusport, should the RFEF proceed with another election call, it would likely fail due to the procedural missteps identified by the Tribunal. Interim president María Ángeles García Chaves should have convened elections for both the Assembly Delegated Committee and the presidency for the 2024-2028 term, instead of focusing solely on the presidential election, given the timeline constraints.
In response to the ruling, the RFEF now faces the necessity of dissolving the Management Committee, restoring the Board of Directors to their roles, and launching elections for the new cycle of 2024-2028 via interim president María Ángeles García Chaves.
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