A lawsuit by more than 330 coaches against the RFEF for not issuing them UEFA licenses to practice outside of Spain is admitted for processing

The Court of First Instance number 33 of Madrid has accepted for processing a lawsuit filed by more than 330 coaches against the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) promoted, among others, by the National Coaches Committee (Cenafe) and the Transparency Association and Democracy chaired by Miguel Galán, the man who has set out to change the course within the body that governs Spanish football. The technicians accuse the RFEF of not allowing them to practice abroad by not issuing them the so-called UEFA license despite having obtained their degrees in authorized centers. According to the plaintiffs, the federation does issue this license to those who have studied in centers dependent on it.

The complaint, of 26 pages and to which this newspaper has had access, denounces the violation by the RFEF of article 14 of the Spanish Constitution - which establishes that Spaniards are equal before the law - and the free movement of workers in the EU. “With the qualification of senior sports technician in football, any of the plaintiffs could coach a first division football team (such as Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Barcelona, ​​etc.) in the Spanish competition and, yet, not could do so to a French third division team because the RFEF would not issue the qualification (UEFA diploma or license) if it does not pay the fees (up to 1,050 euros) to undergo a competency accreditation procedure convened, created, controlled and evaluated by the RFEF itself exclusively,” says the complaint, which was admitted for processing on April 12.

The plaintiffs put the number of workers affected by the football federation's actions in the thousands, since they have received offers from abroad - especially from minor leagues and amateur categories - but have not been able to accept them as they do not have a UEFA license to practice outside of Spain.

The complainants ask the court to declare that “the RFEF has violated the right to equality and non-discrimination” by offering them “discriminatory and unequal treatment” compared to those other coaches who have completed their studies in the centers or schools dependent on the RFEF. federation. For the plaintiffs, this represents a “barrier” imposed by the RFEF that makes it difficult for them to exercise their rights to “freedom of residence and exercise of the profession of football coach in any EU Member State under equal conditions.” They also demand that the federation be ordered to issue and deliver to them the corresponding UEFA licenses with the professional skills they hold "under the same conditions as those coaches who have completed coaching studies in the centers or schools dependent on the defendant."

For the issuance of UEFA licenses or diplomas, the federation requires those who have the title of sports technician or senior sports technician in football to prove to the organization's quality commission that they have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills. To demonstrate training, the RFEF requests, at a minimum, the presentation of a sports project and its defense before a court.

The federation sends two reports to the CSD

Waiting to see if the Higher Sports Council (CSD) convenes the organization's board of directors to vote on the provisional suspension due to very serious misconduct on the part of the RFEF management committee and Pedro Rocha - the only candidate who met the 21 endorsements required to preside over the institution—, on Wednesday the federation sent the CSD two reports that it is evaluating and “that may constitute an element of value” on the situation of the organization, according to sources from the CSD itself, who affirm that they are acting with “ determination and firmness and with the maximum legal guarantees in the face of the RFEF crisis.”

The delivery of these two documents comes after the president of the CSD, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, announced on Tuesday in a commission of the Congress of Deputies that the institution he presides would convene the board of directors in the coming days to vote on the temporary suspension of Rocha and the managing commission after the Court of Arbitration for Sports (TAD) initiated a sanctioning file against them last Monday.

The origin of the TAD file is a complaint by Miguel Galán who accuses Rocha of having exceeded his duties as interim president and of delaying the electoral call in the RFEF. The TAD resolution was sent on Monday to the CSD, which is analyzing the 39 pages of the document to decide whether or not to disqualify Rocha and the rest of the members of the federation who made up its hard core after surviving the Rubiales crisis.

Rocha, in addition, has been charged since last Friday in the framework of Operation Brodie, which investigates the plot that supposedly looted the RFEF during the presidency of Luis Rubiales (2018-2023) through the rigging of contracts, including that of the remodeling. of the La Cartuja stadium in Seville, built in 2021, or the one that brought the Spanish Super Cup matches to Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the federation continues in a situation of absolute interim, without a president or anyone capable of signing a single contract to advance day-to-day management.