Rubiales elected Spanish Federation President

MADRID, 17 May 2018: Former journeyman defender Luis Rubiales was elected President of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Thursday.

The election of Rubiales, 40, represented a changing in the Federation’s old school administration and his mandate includes modernising its structure, increasing turnover and turning it into a more transparent organisation.

“I’ll give my everything for the Federation,” he said. “Women, football sala, beach soccer. All of those games need to be involved with us here. We have taken a step towards the future. Nobody will beat us in terms of work; the change is unstoppable.”

The RFEF had been without a permanent president since December following the sacking of Angel Maria Villar who had held the position for 29 years.

He was arrested in July along with his son Gorka and other soccer officials on corruption charges.

Villar had stepped down from vice presidency roles at FIFA and UEFA, but refused to leave his post as head of the RFEF, forcing Spain’s Administrative Court for Sport to step in to relieve him of his duties.

Rubiales played for several lower league clubs after coming through the Valencia and Atletico Madrid youth systems and finished his playing career in 2009 with Hamilton Academical in Scotland.

A year later he was named President of the Association of Spanish Footballers, a position he held until announcing his candidacy for the RFEF's top job last year.