Rocha lifts veto against Roures group
The Royal Spanish Football Federation recently disclosed that it had issued a provisional award. The decision concerns the Video Arbitration Assistance Service (VAR) and was granted to Mediapro, SAU. Likewise, the federation temporarily approved its semi-automatic offside technology SAOT to Hawk-Eye Innovation. The concessions cover the four seasons from 2024/25 through 2027/28, signaling a shift in operating arrangements for Spain’s top football competitions.
With the appointment of Pedro Rocha as coach, the federation effectively lifts the veto that had been imposed on Mediapro by former president Luis Rubiales. This move ends a long period of public friction between the federation and the Mediapro group, and it aligns with more recent decisions favorable to Mediapro in several ongoing disputes with the federation.
Reports from El Periódico de España, part of the Prensa Ibérica group, indicated that an agreement was reached with Mediapro regarding a financial settlement. The paper noted that the federation, then led by Rubiales, had agreed to pay a total of 14.4 million euros to Jaume Roures’ company after a series of legal disagreements related to audiovisual rights and other contractual arrangements. The exact terms appeared in the described court documents and statements from the involved parties.
Carlos Clos Gómez, noted as the VAR director and a Zaragoza-based referee, was associated with the discussions and the ongoing evaluation of the arbitration process. The involvement of the VAR director and other senior refereeing officials has been a key element in addressing disputes surrounding video technology and its application in league play.
Decisions in favor of Mediapro
Initial rulings in Madrid supported Mediapro in several facets of the dispute. A resolution on July 5 established that the federation owed Mediapro up to 12.3 million euros, and it touched on scope related to the tender for the commercialization of audiovisual rights for the Copa del Rey across the seasons 19/20, 20/21, and 21/22. The court’s decision reinforced Mediapro’s role in the distribution of broadcast rights and examined the terms under which the federation engaged with third parties in these commercial arrangements.
In a separate matter, the third Commercial Court of Madrid issued a ruling that further affected the federation’s finances. It required the federation to pay 2.1 million euros to Roures in relation to a 2019 lawsuit alleging irregularities in the competition linked to the provision of the League’s Video Assistance Referee Service. The case highlighted the long-running friction between the federation and its partners regarding governance, competitive bidding, and the management of VAR services across domestic competitions.
The legal proceedings illustrate a broader context where arbitration, technology rights, and vendor relationships intersect with governance decisions at the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Observers note that these outcomes may influence how the federation negotiates future contracts for video technology, broadcasting rights, and other critical services that support the country’s professional leagues.