LFP attacks RFEF chief over collective rights stance

The Spanish Football League (LFP) has criticised Angel Maria Villar, the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), for not representing the interests of the clubs as the battle to introduce collective media-rights selling in the domestic league escalates.

Following an extraordinary meeting of the LFP professional clubs yesterday (Monday), the organisation appeared to blame Villar for delays in implementing the so-called Royal Decree – the proposed government legislation that would enable media-rights income to be sold on a collective rather than club-by-club basis.

Following the meeting, LFP president Javier Tebas, who said that he had not spoken to Villar in a year and a half, said in a statement representing the clubs that the RFEF was currently not respecting an agreement that was reached on March 6 to work towards the centralisation of rights.

Tebas condemned Villar’s “unjustified” decision not to attend the meeting and added that the organisation had notified “the government that Spanish professional football, with the LFP as its main governing body and the clubs that comprise it, does not currently feel represented by the president of the RFEF due to his attitude.”

The statement added: “The LFP and clubs request that he changes his conduct immediately for the sake of Spanish football as a whole, and that he carries out all of the actions necessary to facilitate the passing of the Royal Decree for centralised selling. May he be warned that should he fail to do this, he will be directly opposed by professional football.”

Tebas added that the RFEF “wants to mix the content of the Royal Decree with a justification of subsidies and grassroots football” and added: “These problems cannot be mixed because the aim of this agreement is to not only benefit professional football, it is also targeted at benefitting the fans… Everyone has agreed, that if the president of the RFEF does not react appropriately with a few days, it will be necessary [for Villar] to leave the posts of the management board and delegate committee.”