Governing Bodies
LA LIGA AND SPAIN FA AT LOGGERHEADS
If the La Liga season is cut short or abandoned because of the coronavirus pandemic, the top four teams in the current standings will qualify for next season’s Champions League, the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) has said.
With all teams having played 27 rounds before play was halted on March 12 due to the outbreak, leaders and defending champions Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad will be the four clubs that will go through to Europe’s premier club competition if no more action is possible this season.
“The RFEF wants to have done its homework in case, in the event of a suspension of competitions, it receives the request from UEFAregarding the Spanish clubs that would have access to European competitions next season,” general secretary Andreu Camps said in a statement on Thursday night.
“Thus… it has been agreed in the RFEF delegate commission to make a plan in order to give certainty in an extreme scenario, such as not being able to finish the competitions, so that all the clubs know the new scenario they are facing.”
After the last round of games ended, Barcelona topped La Liga with 58 points, two ahead of rivals Madrid.
Sevilla are third on 47, with Real Sociedad, who have not played in the Champions League since the 2013-14 campaign, a point further back in fourth.
The teams in fifth and sixth place – which are Getafe (46) and Atletico Madrid (45) – will qualify for the Europa League.
The result of the King’s Cup final, if that is contested, could have an impact on the team grabbing the final Europa League spot.
With finalists Sociedad already in the top four, their opponents Athletic Bilbao (10th) are in pole position for the third Europa League spot should the league not resume.
The suspended final had been set for today and would have been the first Cup final featuring the country’s two biggest Basque teams.
The RFEF’s decision remains a proposal that has not been approved by La Liga. League president Javier Tebas said in response: “Nulling and voiding the season is not an option on the table.
“We’re reviewing multiple scenarios, such as what happens if we play behind closed doors… and what happens if games aren’t played.
“We have to look at all possibilities, but we’re not working towards a situation where we don’t complete the season.”
Other clubs that stand to lose out the most have also voiced their unhappiness with the unilateral plan.
Atletico, who eliminated title-holders Liverpool to reach the last eight of the Champions League this term, told Spanish media such a scenario “would be unfair to them”.
It could force the club into selling at least one of their key assets such as the highly sought-after Saul Niguez, given that participation in the Champions League represents 15 per cent of the club’s budget.
Valencia, who are in seventh spot on 42 points, and Getafe also told Spanish daily Marca they were equally outraged.
But Sergio Busquets feels a premature conclusion may be something clubs have to come to terms with – as unpalatable as it might be.
“It’s going to be difficult to resume,” the Barca midfielder told local radio stations Onda Cero and Cope. “I don’t think it can be done. It’s going to be difficult to resume because of the travelling, getting everyone together.”
AFP, Reuters
Governing Bodies
FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Congo officials over financial misconduct
FIFA’s ethics committee launched disciplinary proceedings against three senior Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) officials on Wednesday, including president Jean-Guy Mayolas, over allegations of financial misconduct.
Mayolas, his wife and his son were sentenced to life in prison earlier this month after a criminal court in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, convicted them of embezzling $1.1 million in FIFA funds. Media reports said their whereabouts were not known , and they were tried in absentia.
FECOFOOT general secretary Wantete Badji and treasurer Raoul Kanda are also subject to the disciplinary proceedings, FIFA said. Badji and Kanda were sentenced to five years each in prison by the court in Brazzaville for related charges.
“These proceedings follow the receipt of information and documents during an audit,” FIFA said in a statement.
-Reuters
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The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from attending the LA Olympics in 2028, in a move that could also have implications for the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.
The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the global drug-fighting watchdog’s executive committee, is the latest manoeuvre to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA.
The refusal is part of the American government’s unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency’s handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.
The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorised to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.
The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.
“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.
“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal. “And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through.”
In a news release after this story published, WADA said the AP story was “entirely misleading,” focusing on Fitzgerald’s statement to the AP that if proposals being discussed were “introduced, given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games (in 2034) would not be covered.”
Fitzgerald’s only answer to three emails from AP seeking clarification on his initial response — specifically about how a rule that had not yet been adopted could or couldn’t be applied retroactively on events that are scheduled for the future — was: “I’m trying to say that it would not apply retroactively so those events would not be covered. Given that and the next meeting of the Board being scheduled for November, I don’t see how it could come into play for this year’s World Cup.”
-AP
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The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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