Businessman Juanma Morales, first candidate in the elections for the presidency of the Federation

Born in Madrid in 1967, Morales has a degree in Economics and Business Sciences and PDD from IESE and currently holds the position of General Director of the IFA Group. This year He has been included among the 100 best CEOs in Spain according to Forbes magazine. and presides over Europe’s largest trade association, ‘EuroCommerce’, which integrates more than five million companies and 26 million workers in more than 20 countries, representing 10% of European GDP.

On September 9, Morales informed the IFA Group of his intention to tackle a new professional challenge after 13 years in which he managed to multiply his turnover by four to 40,000 million euros.

To face the elections for the presidency of the RFEF, the businessman has built an team made up of ex-footballers such as David Silva, Luis Milla, currently coach, Virginia Torrecilla or Amanda Sampedro. He also has in his candidacy, which is defined as “independent and committed to the best of football and business”, a former referee, José María García-Aranda, and futsal legends such as Julio García Mera or Julián Melero. And they are joined by experts in the football and high performance industry such as Javier Sobrino or Lorena Torres, or specialists in sports sponsorships such as Raquel Ros.

As the candidacy explains, its program is based on a 4-year strategic approach and articulated on three axes. The first is the «good governmentto professionalize the management of the RFEF, with transparency, independence and business criteria, guaranteeing long-term sustainable development.

Secondly, it is based on the «social impactby promoting grassroots football, promoting women’s football, training, inclusion and supporting territorial federations with better services and infrastructure.

And finally the «economic growththrough innovation, new forms of sponsorship and strategic partners, reinvesting the resources generated in football itself, especially in grassroots football.

The RFEF has not evolved with society

For the candidate, as he himself explains, “the RFEF has not evolved at the same pace as society and it is the future of Spanish football that is decided in these elections”, which is why his intention is “to enhance our international prestige and ensure a organization of the 2030 World Cup exemplary. “We just need the confidence of the assembly members to make it a reality.”

And for the candidacy to go ahead and be able to actually compete in the elections for the presidency of the RFEF, it must gather at least 21 endorsements in the Assembly that will be established at the end of November.

Morales is “aware of the risk I take and what I leave behind, but I am convinced and committed to this cause. My team and I believe in the need for change, calm but unstoppable.which allows the Federation to be at the same level as the success of its different teams and its fans.

And he is convinced that “this transformation must come hand in hand with all levels of football, especially the territorial federations, as authentic protagonists of the necessary change.”

After maintaining a round of contacts with territorial presidents and representatives of various Spanish football groupsMorales has announced the presentation of a strategic plan for the RFEF to recover its reputation, multiplying its value through an efficient business management model. “Football should belong to the athletes and the fans, not to the managers.”