Pedro Rocha named president of Spanish Football Federation

On Friday, the Spanish football federation named Pedro Rocha as its new president, following the resignation of the former president, Luis Rubiales, last September amid controversy. Rocha, who is currently implicated in a corruption investigation involving the federation, had been serving as the interim president and was the sole candidate for the upcoming May election.

The Spanish government recently decided to take oversight of the federation due to ongoing scandals. The federation announced, “Pedro Rocha has today been proclaimed the new president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), after receiving the majority support of the assembly members.”

The decision to formalize Rocha’s position came after the Spanish government’s National Sports Council (CSD) convened on Thursday, establishing a committee to oversee the federation but did not suspend Rocha, thereby allowing his appointment.

This move followed a report from Spain’s leading sports court, which indicated that the federation had exceeded its authority under Rocha’s interim leadership after Rubiales’ departure. This report prompted the CSD’s intervention.

The situation has attracted the attention of FIFA and UEFA, the global and European football governing bodies, respectively. Both expressed concerns on Thursday about the potential for government overreach in the federation’s affairs. They stated their intention to gather more information to understand if the CSD’s actions could interfere with the RFEF’s ability to operate independently.

Spain, along with Portugal and Morocco, is set to host the 2030 World Cup.

Rubiales had resigned from his position after facing global backlash for forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso. Both Rubiales and Rocha, his former vice-president, are subjects of a corruption investigation.