Rafael Louzán (Ribadumia, 1967) is a few days away from achieving the maximum responsibility of his life, as he himself states, if he is elected president of the RFEF next Monday by the 141 members of the new assembly. As is known, the former president of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra accepted to be the consensus candidate of the territorial leaders despite carrying the burden of a disqualification for public office (due to prevarication) that is suspended and will be annulled or confirmed by the Court Supreme in February. Louzán attends ABC between meetings with different groups while dealing with the unexpected opposition of one of those regional presidents, the Valencian Salvador Gomar, whom he doubled in the endorsement count. In fact, he even had endorsements to give them to the president of Extremadura, Sergio Merchán, as a substitute in anticipation of some hypothetical clash with the Higher Sports Council and/or the Administrative Court of Sports. – Why did you decide to present your candidacy for these elections in instead of waiting until February 5 and occupying the presidency without adding another shadow of suspicion to a federation with serious reputational damage? -Pedro Rocha was going to be, with all certainty, the candidate of the vast majority of the territorial federations. In the short time he has been there he has achieved many things, but above all peace and harmony in Spanish football. A month before it was known that Rocha would not be able to appear, he called me and told me that I should be the one to lead the team. It coincides in time that, when that decision was made, the Supreme Court decided to admit the appeal that I presented a little more than two years ago: a question that jurists know is not easy at all, since between a 7 and 10% of them. I believe in my innocence, I believe that this is a question of interpretation of a contracting process for works that the first judge understands was carried out through an inappropriate contracting process, despite the fact that the Contract Law allowed it. -Aren’t you afraid of putting the Federation itself at risk? -I have a lot of faith in justice and, therefore, I said: why not? Here we usually tear our clothes a lot; The United States has just elected a man who has been convicted of rape and yet has been and is the president. That’s why I say that sometimes here we put ourselves at an extreme. Our legal system establishes that if there is no final ruling, I have legitimacy. This is what the vast majority of the territorial presidents and those who have endorsed me told me. Everyone is aware of the situation; Therefore, I have a double responsibility: the endorsements, and on top of that they have been given to me in these circumstances. -You even have the support of Miguel Galán, who after announcing the challenge of his candidacy, has withdrawn. -We have spoken several times hours, as with other groups. I understood him, and he understood me too. Together we can make some things that need to change change. He believed in me, and I thank him. We can dialogue with everyone who wants the good of football. -The Secretary of State, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, made it clear last week in this newspaper that he does not want him as president. -He has spoken a lot, yes… He has his thoughts, and I respect him. But it should be consistent with its role at this time, which should be one of neutrality. Anyone who can show up must be able to show up, and football will decide. I respect, but obviously I do not share, their public evaluations. I have nothing to reproach him… But he is a public official, and perhaps what we should do from now on is understand each other. I must say that Pedro Rocha asked him to meet on several occasions. It was not possible. And I believe that one of the functions of a public official is to listen to whoever asks him or her. Because that’s what a public official is for. You can agree more or less, but I think your obligation is to listen to everyone. Then he will make his value judgments. -Are you afraid of a challenge on December 17? -I don’t fear anything because there are electoral regulations and there is a ministerial order. How curious, by the way, that this ministerial order was signed this year by the Secretary of State himself. And there is a sports law that, by the way, was also promulgated by the current Secretary of State. Where there are documents, there are plenty of words. -How do you feel, being the candidate supported by Javier Tebas’s League? -I appreciate the support of everyone and of Javier, and in a very special way of the vast majority of the clubs in the League of men’s and women’s professional football. I think they feel, want and need peace and agreements. We can also disagree on some things, surely, but we have been working for a year and we have reached great agreements. And it didn’t take many hours. -Your opponent, Salvador Gomar, has presented a program with 164 measures. What would you highlight as the main points of yours? -For me, the programs are made by all of us who represent football. We are receiving proposals from the League, the F League, the unions, the coaches’ group, the referees’ group… From everyone. To then present proposals to the assembly members and Spanish football. Proposals that I also understand are commitments; and those commitments are to be fulfilled. My intention is clear. First consensus, dialogue and peace in football; and from there, action, because I don’t come to be there. I would like to highlight, separately, two specific and important measures. On the one hand, we want to create our own OTT for viewing non-professional Spanish football and futsal. Probably working with the League, who are the great experts in football visualization. On the other hand, we want to catalog and classify the Spanish stadiums, based on an audit that will be the starting point for a program to modernize and improve these stadiums. -What role does Sergio Merchán have in this electoral campaign? -I don’t have any personalistic desire… And the truth is that in him I have found a person, in capital letters, excellent. If the majority wants me to be there, I will be there, and if the majority wants Sergio to be there, then Sergio will be there. I hope to be up to the task, and I can tell everyone here today that I am not going to disappoint them. -What is your opinion of the single endorsement system, which prevents the appearance of new blood in the federative power? -The sport with the most The impact is always football, but let us remember that this same model is applied in all sports federations in this country. It could have been changed. A new sports law was published two years ago. There is a ministerial order from this same year. Those who have had the opportunity to change it have not done so. Any process works for me. I understand that for the vast majority of people it is a cumbersome and difficult process, since you almost have to do a master’s degree to understand it. I don’t think this system is the best. -Were you surprised by Gomar’s last-minute presentation? -I am a person who if he says a word, he keeps it. He said, after having a meeting with me, when he knew of the immense support I received, that for the good of the federation itself he was giving up running. That was a week ago. Now it seems that he has changed his mind, I don’t know if he alone or because of the Andalusian federation and the pressures from Luis Rubiales’ environment. That federation stated clearly and clearly on Sunday the 1st that it was not going to support anyone and that its vice president, Mr. Molina Maza, was going to have its endorsements. His relationship and proximity to Luis Rubiales is known to everyone. Now it seems that Mr. Gomar and Mr. Rubiales have seen each other these days in Valencia. – Mr. Gomar denies it. – That change has to be due to some circumstance… Which could very well be this. And obviously I have to respect it. He is a companion; Therefore, respect and nothing more. -It has been published that in that three-hour meeting you threatened to reveal possible dirty laundry, the same ones with which you were already warned a year ago not to appear. -That is not my style, and I’m already 57 years old. Salvador has changing emotional states; I say it with all the love. That same day I was at a meal with three friends who had nothing to do with football. I told him to join. He practically arrived at the cafe. He and I stayed alone for three hours, and then he left for Valencia. It was when he stated that he was giving up being a candidate for the good coexistence of the territorial ones. People who know me already know that Rafael Louzán does not go through life threatening anyone. Besides, he later did the opposite! There’s something here that doesn’t fit. -Spain will continue not to be represented in the UEFA and FIFA steering committees, which are renewed next year. Are you worried that the reputation of the federation remains under suspicion after the Rubial scandals? -No, I’m not worried. Like many people, we have an open process that is pending a final ruling. Furthermore, I fully trust in justice and, therefore, I believe that we should give it leeway. Secondly, I think that FIFA and UEFA are going to have Spain as a true reference. It is true that we have gone through a turbulent period, but the presumption of innocence has to be above any other scenario and we will work to get back to where we deserve in a short time. – Why did ‘rubialism’ last so many years, now so reviled? Why didn’t anyone do anything? -I didn’t support him when he arrived; I had supported another candidacy. It was a very difficult path, especially for those of us who were on the other line. Afterwards there was only one candidacy, and well, you are there, but without any executive responsibility (except now, with Pedro Rocha, who asked me for help to move things forward). I sincerely hope that something like this never happens again. There can be no ‘with me or against me’. I have been in politics and I have known how to understand myself with all the political parties, in addition to understanding myself with my own. With me, that sectarian action will never return, which I believe has only brought harm to everyone. During the Rubiales era, there was unlimited tension in the federation: all you have to see now, in the workplace, is the tranquility that exists among the workers. Before there were tremendous tensions. That will never come back. It is the time for peace and good government. And we must leave behind this stage that has worn us all down.
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