(Photo Copyright Ane Frosaker / SPP)
There are few countries in the world where soccer is as central and preeminent as it is in Spain. Clubs are century-old institutions, and presidents (especially from Real Madrid and FC Barcelona) are considered to be way more relevant and powerful than cabinet ministers. People old and young love the game; Spanish teams are used to winning continental and world titles; and the national team, la Selección, has been living its golden age for the past 15 years. A week ago, the women’s side won the World Cup for the first time. Nearly everything is good — on the pitch.
Yet soccer institutions in Spain are a mess, and they don’t like to stay quiet about it. Clubs feud with each other. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) fights against La Liga; La Liga fights against the Federation. La Liga fights against some clubs. Some clubs fight against the Federation.
When RFEF president Luis Rubiales took the stage on Friday to address the federation’s extraordinary assembly, he was not only trying…
