Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s place in UCL could be under threat due to Rubiales and RFEF – report
Spanish football has been rocked by the controversy surrounding now-suspended RFEF president Luis Rubiales.
The 46-year-old’s actions of forcefully kissing Jenni Hermoso after the Spanish Women’s National Team won the FIFA World Cup and his subsequent refusal to step down from his post led to him being suspended by FIFA.
The temporary suspension will last for 90 days while disciplinary proceedings int the matter continue.
Rubiales though has the support of a large number of officials in the RFEF, and one of them, Andreu Camps, the Secretary General of the RFEF, has taken the matter to UEFA, which could hurt Spanish teams in European competitions, including Real Madrid.
Camps’ complaint could have repercussions
Indeed, according to Onda Cero, Camps has written a letter to UEFA complaining about the Spanish Government and its intervention in the matter concerning Rubiales and the RFEF.
Camps is understood to have accused officials of the Spain Government who have spoken out publicly against Rubiales and called for drastic measures to be taken against him.
And as per a politician, Camps’ intention behind this move is to get UEFA to threaten to suspend the RFEF and exclude all Spanish teams from European competitions.
“Camps’ only intention is to get UEFA to threaten the Spanish government with the suspension of the RFEF and the consequent exclusion from all European competitions. It’s the same move that Villar did with Blatter at the time,” he said.
What does UEFA say?
UEFA’s statutes clearly state that its associations “shall manage their affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties. Any body or decision of a body that has not been elected or appointed in accordance with said procedure, even provisionally, will not be recognized by UEFA.”
Camps intends to use this to get UEFA to threaten the possible suspension of the Spanish FA and the subsequent exclusion of teams from European competitions, potentially affecting Real Madrid and other clubs involved in the tournaments.
UEFA has not made any statement on the matter thus far and has remained quiet. It is said that there is a friendly relationship between UEFA president Alexander Ceferin and Rubiales.
Much could depend on whether interim RFEF president Pedro Rocha Junco maintains this position or decides to withdraw the complaint and dismiss Camps from his position.
Real Madrid have started the 2023/24 campaign on a strong note, winning six in six across all competitions.
What makes the streak even more impressive is that they have had to do so without a number of key players present.
Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Arda Guler and Vinicius Jr are still out on the sidelines while Dani Ceballos and Ferland Mendy have only recently returned from injury.
But, earlier this week, Dani Carvajal became the latest victim of the injury course as he sustained a muscle issue that ruled him out of the match against Union Berlin last night.
Carvajal will undergo MRI tomorrow
Carvajal had been in fine form prior to his injury earlier this week and his absence is certainly a blow.
With a game against Atletico Madrid coming up later this weekend, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic is reporting that the 31-year-old will undergo his MRI scans tomorrow morning.
It should present a clearer picture of the extent of the veteran right-back’s injury following which a potential date for his return could be determined.
Prior to the Union Berlin match, manager Carlo Ancelotti sounded optimistic about Carvajal’s condition, as he said:
“Carvajal has an overload, we prefer not to take any risks. It’s nothing serious, he’ll undergo tests tomorrow and we hope he recovers soon. Carvajal can make it to the derby. The feelings are good.”
But tomorrow’s scans should provide a better picture of how his condition is and when he can make a comeback.
Lucas Vazquez: an able deputy
With Dani Carvajal unavailable, Carlo Ancelotti turned to Lucas Vazquez for the right-back position and the veteran Spaniard did not disappoint last night.
Indeed, the 32-year-old was a regular outlet going forward down the right flank and made six key passes against Union Berlin.
And Ancelotti will count on him again in the derby versus Atleti if Carvajal’s recovery will take longer.
