AFE calls for the resignation of Luis Rubiales

AFE has issued an official statement assuring that “Luis Rubiales cannot continue to be the president of the RFEF”. The Association of Spanish Footballers calls for the resignation of the Canarian leader after the news published by ‘El Confidencial’ in which he assures that the RFEF lawyer has confessed that Rubiales had ordered espionage of David Aganzo, president of AFE.

According to the same means of communication, Ramón Caravaca, a lawyer from the RFEF, assures that Rubiales lied when he denied his responsibility in committing espionage to the leader of the Football Association, David Aganzo. This statement was made in the context of an internal investigation by the Madrid Bar Association.

This news published on Tuesday by ‘El Confidencial’ has been denied by the RFEF, an organization that also issued an official notice. In that communiqué, the RFEF assures that this was the case Juan Rubiales, uncle of the president. “Mr. Juan Rubiales, then Chief of the Cabinet of the Presidency of the RFEF, was the one who introduced him to the client who wanted to report irregularities in AFE. The instructor of the procedure confused Mr. Juan Rubiales with Mr. Luis Rubiales” .

Here is the full statement from AFE

After meeting through a published information by El Confidencial -documentation to which we have had access, in the context of a complaint lodged with the Deontological Commission of the Bar Association of Madrid-, in which the lawyer Ramon Caravaca acknowledges that “he received the Professional Commission from the President of the RFEF” to investigate David Aganzochairman of AFE, the association would like to announce the following:

1. AFE regrets and disapproves of these despicable acts that deviate from legality behaviour that could be branded as a mafioso and is not typical of a sports federation. Therefore, we demand the immediate disqualification of the President, Mister Rubialesby the competent authorities, as his dismissal is unlikely.
2. AFE will take immediate action appropriate in the corresponding legal field before the suspected illegal practices used by the RFEF headed by its president as the most responsible.
3. It is clear that the sole purpose of these actions was to intimidate, force and above all impede the smooth and proper functioning of the Football Association. An unjustified interference that directly threatens trade union freedom.
4. In view of these serious events, AFE will take the corresponding writings to the Higher Sports Council (CSD), FIFA, UEFA and ILO (International Labor Organization) with the aim of the Measures for a situation that AFE deems unacceptable in a democratic society.
5. We understand from AFE that this situation is decisive institutional role in which we have to move sports operators in general and football in particular. That’s why AFE understands that Luis Rubialesas responsible, can’t stay president from a prestigious and historic institution such as the RFEF, for which we are urging all organizations and institutions we have contacted to take the appropriate measures for this purpose.
6. This kind of behaviour clearly harms the image of Spanish football at the international level, for which reason immediate and strong action must be taken to protect the good name and reputation of the RFEF and the viability of the candidacy in which Spain is immersed to win the World Cup 2030 together with Portugal and Morocco.