No lessons learned in Spain

‘WAITER, Waiter there’s a hair in my soup’. ‘I’m sorry sir, let me get you another one’. Waiter disappears through the swing doors of the kitchen and, once out of sight, hooks the hair out with his finger and takes the same soup back to the table. That’s what some key figures within the Spanish Football Federation seem to be trying to do following the sacking of Luis Rubiales after he inappropriately kissed Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s victory at the Women’s World Cup last year. Interim president Pedro Rocha was one of Rubiales’ vice-presidents. He wanted to call elections last Wednesday, which if he wins would install him as permanent replacement. Unfortunately, those plans were scuppered when Spanish Police raided RFEF’s headquarters on the same day. They were searching for papers relating to the sale of the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia for £206million. The public prosecutor wants to talk to Rubiales, who has said he will cooperate once he returns from the Dominican Republic. His home in Spain was also searched by the investigating police. Saudi Arabia bought the rights to hold the Spanish Super Cup for £34m a season for six seasons in 2019. There were always huge ethical holes in taking a Spanish domestic competition and playing it 3,000 miles away in a dictatorship. We are close to finding out if there were legal flaws, too. The investigation into possible corruption, money laundering and misuse of funds between 2018 and 2023 is ongoing. None of this is a good look for Spain, set to co-host the World Cup in 2030.