The Spanish Footballers Association (AFE) reportedly criticized on Tuesday what it called actions of questionable legality carried out by Luis Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The accusations included alleged spying on union president David Aganzo, with the AFE urging the Supreme Sports Council (CSD) to investigate the matter, according to the association and details reported by El Confidencial.
From the AFE’s perspective, such behavior harms the image of a national football institution and undermines football in Spain in general. The association’s statement, which drew on information from El Confidencial, claimed that Rubiales had allegedly hired detective services to observe Aganzo’s conduct.
AFE described the maneuver as something closer to questionable legality, alleging that it aimed to force or intimidate the union and compromise the football body’s mission to defend its members. The constitutionally protected role of trade unions as defenders of workers’ rights was highlighted as an essential principle to be respected.
Given the information released, AFE called for an investigation into the use of private detectives, arguing that such interference would disrupt the daily operations of the Federation in relation to the union. The association labeled the actions as a severe and unacceptable assault on the federation’s leadership and on a union that should maintain independence.
The union urged the CSD to determine whether the case involved serious or very serious violations as defined in the applicable sports law.
AFE stressed that any action by an institution that operates with public delegation must intervene to protect the reputation of a significant football institution and the RFEF. The group argued there was no legitimate interest in employing a detective agency to investigate the president; instead, it viewed the effort as an attempt to smear the association and its representative.
In light of the gravity of the allegations, AFE and its president, David Aganzo, announced that they would pursue legal action and escalate concerns to international bodies such as UEFA, FIFA, and FIFPRO. They also signaled possible criminal liability or disciplinary questions under the code of conduct.
AFE recalled that there was a precedent of similar episodes, citing a leaked recording from a study session at the RFEF where permission to record had not been sought. The federation, led by Rubiales, was fined 200,000 euros by the Spanish Data Protection Agency for that incident.
AFE argued that episodes like these should not be allowed to define the sport and that anyone involved in such disputes should operate outside of the professional arena.
Given the disturbing situation
Conversely, the RFEF denied employing any detective agency and said that members of AFE’s Board of Directors and other affiliates had sought Rubiales’s help regarding the disturbing situation after the union had accused him of improper acts.
The RFEF asserted that it had not commissioned any detectives or actions of this kind, and that the media were reconstructing a false narrative that linked the president to unrelated events. Rubiales emphasized that he has always been an active member of the AFE and denied any involvement in or knowledge of the alleged follow-up actions described in reports.
The federation pointed to ongoing concerns among affiliates about alleged bribery of a public official to obtain confidential documents from the football sector. It noted that Rubiales had cooperated with inquiries when possible and had offered assistance to uncover the truth within the bounds of union membership while seeking a change in direction for the organization. The RFEF argued that actions of the kind attributed to the head of the federation were not lawful and should not be associated with his leadership.
Additionally, the federation condemned a new wave of disinformation aimed at the public, stating that the media campaign sought to extend personal harassment against Rubiales and his team by distorting reality and constructing stories that have little to do with the truth. The broader aim, according to the RFEF, is to harm Rubiales through falsified narratives.