Finally there is some light in the Association of Spanish Footballers. In the absence of official status, David Aganzo will be re-elected president of the union until 2025. This Thursday the scrutiny was completed six days and 147 hours after the polls closed at the Madrid headquarters of Gran Vía 30, after several nights awake by auditors and workers, with a suspension including the count due to “exhaustion” and “indisposition “, with a constant request from the 'VAR' by opponents of the winner and with a dozen statements from the Electoral Table, the Electoral Commission and the candidacies. The elections, decided by a simple majority, had just over 5,000 votes from the 11,908 AFE affiliates who had the right (there are more than 12,000 members already), but they stood out for the thousands of obstacles that have been along the way and that have deteriorated the image of an institution with 43 years of history.
Aganzo, who has chaired the union since 2017 after replacing Luis Rubiales, now at the head of the RFEF, has forcefully defeated the other candidate who stood in the elections, Gaizka Toquero, at the polls. According to various sources, there have been about 1,300 votes difference. The victory of the former Madrid striker is provisional, since now allegations can be presented for two business days in a process that will end between challenges with the final proclamation next week. If the victory is confirmed, The new Board of Directors of David Aganzo will be made up of Diego Rivas (general secretary), by the vice presidents Jade Boho, Jordi Alba, José Luis Morales, Silvia Meseguer and Lucas Pérez, and by the members Ruth Acedo, Juan Manuel Marrero, Daniel Giménez, Adrián González, José Verdú (Toché), Ismael Gil, Javi López and José Antonio Camacho.
Official statement with the results:
“Held this past Friday, April 9, the electoral day to elect president and members of the Board of Directors of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), the provisional results, once the minutes prepared by the Electoral Board have been received, have been the following , after counting the vote in person and by mail:
Electoral census: 11,908 footballers with the right to vote.
Number of votes cast: 4,994.
Votes cast by mail: 4,878.
Votes cast in person: 116.
Void votes: 74.
Blank votes: 33.
Nomination of David Aganzo: 3,079 votes.
Gaizka Toquero's candidacy: 1,808 votes.
As contemplated in the Electoral Regulations of AFE, claims may be submitted for two business days from the date following the date of notification of the agreement or resolution.
The Electoral Commission must resolve the claims on the next business day after the filing of the appeal or claim, then definitively proclaiming the winning candidacy.
The Electoral Commission ”.
Toquero denounces fraud in the elections
“Since the candidacy of Gaizka Toquero we have been publicly denouncing in recent days a fraud in the elections to the presidency of AFE. From votes of people who are not even in the census, something that is difficult to explain, proasting through manipulations of the electoral census until we find ourselves with duplicate votes.
In addition, the custody of postal ballots has been called into question as the notarial chain of custody has been broken several times throughout the process, preventing guaranteeing the inviolability of the ballot boxes.
With all these irregularities, duly documented by our candidacy, we have transferred through a complaint to the UDEV, Specialized and Violent Crime Unit of the National Police, competent body in this matter. This Unit has opened an investigation to clarify the facts. “
A third world count
The voting in person began last Friday at 10:00 and lasted until 18:00. Of the total number of players who were called to the polls in these elections, 6.48% belong to First and Second, 15.47% to 2ndB, 38.82% to Third and lower categories and 3.36 % to First, Second and National female. Of these, 9.31% reside abroad. The remaining 26.56% are retired or without equipment.
The delay in knowing the results has been due, among many other things, to the internal struggles that have existed in AFE for years, to which there was a large majority of votes by mail (5,100 votes compared to 112 votes in person) and that each one of those votes had to be checked exhaustively (not counted) before starting to scrutinize. The footballers (who had until March 18 to be able to pronounce remotely), after receiving all the relevant documentation by courier, included their ballot in a small envelope that, in turn, was inside a larger one with the essential requirements to be able to vote by mail (ID, authorization, address and approval of the notary's office, etc.) and that each one delivered to the same courier who took the documentation to the requested address.
Therefore, once these votes were received in Madrid until last April 6, the legality of the process had to be verified one by one so that everything was carried out in accordance with the electoral law. In the end, all the votes together, respecting anonymity, were added to the ballot box with the votes in person to begin the counting, yes, and see who each ballot was added to. The problem came when Toquero's candidacy unsuccessfully requested alternate auditors and a notary and, above all, when halfway through the count Aganzo took out more than 600 difference ballots with almost 50% of the votes counted. The tension soared and the process was suspended for three days in which there have been accusations.
From psychological victory to mathematical victory
Gaizka Toquero, the former Athletic, Alavés and Zaragoza player who retired 18 months ago, was the first to go to the polls last Friday at 12:40 am accompanied by his trusted team. After arriving in the capital a week ago and staying in a hotel on the outskirts, he made an appearance without making much noise and accompanied by his work team. David Aganzo, for his part, appeared a few minutes later, becoming only a hundred meters from his opponent when he was already leaving the facilities. Aganzo came surrounded by Iker Casillas, José Antonio Camacho and Míchel in the lead. Already in the afternoon, a few minutes before the polls closed, Luis Rubiales (RFEF) appeared, to whom everyone has pointed out, without him pronouncing or confirming it, as the great ideologue of Toquero's candidacy once his Relations with Aganzo, whom he named, have deteriorated greatly.
First elections with two candidates
There was finally some excitement at AFE. Since Quino defeated Ángel María Villar in 1978, the single candidacy has always prevailed. The first president was until 1982, although he was relieved for a year by Asensio. Then Iriarte arrived. There, the players did vote since, despite being the only candidate, their legality was questioned for having remained a member of the Management Board. Gerardo González succeeded him (1988) until he withdrew his candidacy in 2010 due to mistrust with his board of directors, thus leaving Rubiales free. The president of the RFEF appointed Aganzo, who was later ratified by the Assembly with an overwhelming majority. Now, the affiliates are giving back their support to consolidate a program that he already presented in AS, while Gaizka Toquero will continue to lead his agency for the representation of footballers and with his functions as a commentator. Without going any further, this Saturday he will be at La Cartuja to analyze for DAZN the Copa del Rey final between Barça and Athletic.