Amid the upheaval, Pedro Rocha quickly built a credible profile after taking provisional charge of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The mood at Las Rozas reflected a power vacuum and openings for change as tensions between regions intensified. Yet the situation remained delicate for Rocha, who found himself managing a fragile balance while Rubiales directed distant operations during a six-month suspension. The federation entered a period where accountability and visibility were both in flux.
News from Saudi Arabia, where the Spanish Super Cup concluded under a schedule previously arranged by Rocha’s predecessor, reached the press. The Government, acting through the CSD, instructed the National Center to file a complaint with the Sports Administrative Court (TAD) against Rocha and several members of the RFEF management committee (the details of the action reflect ongoing friction around governance and interim leadership). The complaint underscored the seriousness with which overlapping authorities viewed the federation’s administrative process during transition.
The government filed a complaint with the TAD against Rubiales’ replacement, Pedro Rocha
In the broader debate, attention focused on why partial elections for the presidency had not been initiated after Rubiales’ resignation. The CAS would need to determine whether rules were violated or simply observed. Those around the Federation argued there was governmental backing for the governance path taken, which kept the election process moving through the first quarter of 2024. Analysts predicted the complaint would likely fail to derail the ongoing timetable.
Nevertheless, Rocha and his management team did not take steps to trigger an electoral process through the emergency mechanism, leaving the federation in a state of limbo. The provisional status left Rocha as a representative with limited authority, and his presence at the Saudi Super Cup matches remained planned but formal confirmation depended on evolving circumstances. Within the federation’s organizational chart, he was still described as the national coach alongside Luis de la Fuente or the national team director, Albert Luque, who had stated in an interview that Riojan would continue through the 2026 World Cup.
Rafael del Amo, chair of the National Women’s Football Committee, testified on the record during the hearing into the Jenni Hermoso matter, confirming a crackdown on her journey home from the World Cup in Sydney. The Navarra Football Federation president told Rubiales on the same flight that the moment had come to move on. The narratives around leadership, accountability, and accountability again intersected with signals about timing and decisions facing the federation.
“Luis de la Fuente’s contract has been extended until the end of the 2026 World Cup”
With the renewal announced, the profile of the former president emerged again in events such as the Saudi-hosted Super Cup. Luis Rubiales remained in the orbit, connected to figures like Gerard Piqué, while the Kosmos chief himself attended the region for related meetings. High-level discussions included the head of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, and Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta, underscoring a renewed, if delicate, dialogue around European football administration.
That kind of institutional engagement had not occurred since a March 2, 2023, encounter during the first leg of a Copa del Rey semi-final. The so-called Negreira affair and the shifting dynamics within the “white entity” altered relationships, particularly among partners who once cooperated on projects like a European Super League. Pérez and Laporta participated in preparations for the Super Cup final at an event hosted by the Spanish ambassador to the region. The involvement of Rocha, as chair of the RFEF executive, framed the discussion around governance and the federation’s global stance.
Following the approach of his predecessor, the public faced the impression that the decision to manage the event relied on keeping Spanish football open to the world. Rocha, the only vice president not dismissed by Rubiales, had been entrusted with responsibilities that foreshadowed a broader agenda. He spoke of the Super Cup as a vehicle for unity, brotherhood, and equality—values that clubs echoed at the time. Yet, despite broad support in principle, the process failed to solidify as the transition completed.
RFEF elections are like this: Rocha works in the shadows, regional elections are fragmented and CSD watches
The discussions around incompatibilities between temporary duties and candidacy raised another set of concerns. Critics argued Rocha was leveraging his interim role to curry favor with council members, while his mandate remained bounded by transitional rules. With José Manuel Uribes stepping into the CSD and the CENAFE president endorsing the complaint, Rocha’s public profile faced additional scrutiny beyond mere governance concerns.
Consequently, delaying an emergency election through September would narrow the presidency’s scope to the immediate term. After a lengthy assembly process, the federation found itself carrying a burden that complicated timely decisions. While the overall approach appeared sound to some observers, the lack of a tightly monitored, unified path contributed to persistent instability—even as formal mechanisms suggested a different direction. Yet the rules dictated the path forward.
During this period, Rocha faced the paradox of signing contracts and securing sponsorships without full authority to act. Galán’s complaint thrust him into the spotlight not just as an interim leader, but as a potential candidate—an image that complicated the political calculus within the federation. The CSD’s interim projections suggested a different leadership trajectory was on the horizon, but the timing remained uncertain. The possibility that elections would slip past the Olympic Games added pressure, raising the question of whether Rocha could maintain both leadership and candidacy in a way that would satisfy the federation’s governance requirements.
The debates around the interim rule and the election timetable continued to unfold in a climate of careful watchfulness. The balance between keeping the federation moving and ensuring a transparent, accountable transition remained the central issue as the timeline stretched toward future milestones.