Conflict of competences in women’s football

Last Friday we told you in Mundo Deportivo the meeting that this week is scheduled to be held between the new women’s professional league and the Spanish Football Federation. Key appointment to establish the competences of the two organisms.

And we already anticipate that a conflict of competences between both organizations is coming. As we told last Friday, it is now the women’s professional league that has the power to set issues such as the score per game, the numbers, licenses that can be registered, professional competition ball. This is stated in the Royal Decree of Sports Federations in its article 25 where it reflects as competitions of the league “Organize their own competitions, in coordination with the respective Spanish Sports Federations, in accordance with the criteria that, in exclusive guarantee of national commitments or international, can establish the Higher Sports Council”.

And it is in article 28 relative to the coordination between the federations and the leagues, where it specifies it even more, matters that must be included in an agreement. Among them is the sports calendar, promotions and descents between professional and non-professional competitions; sports arbitration, the disciplinary bodies of professional competitions. There are also others such as the number of non-EU foreign players who will be able to participate in said competitions in coordination with the unions.

The conflict arises because the RFEF includes many of these matters in the draft of the competition rules that the federative Delegate Commission should approve tomorrow, Tuesday, without having discussed them yet with the women’s league. Starting with the calendar, which is who the League proposes and the RFEF ratifies. In case of lack of agreement, the CSD decides.

More problematic, and according to the document to which this newspaper has had access, are the economic conditions and guarantees that the RFEF continues to include to participate when they are the responsibility of the LPFF.

Transfer window until September 7

The same happens with the number of licenses that the RFEF sets at 25 for next season, being a matter that must be addressed jointly by the employers and the federation. The same happens with the official ball that in the document urges to use the RFEF ball; when this matter is already the power of the club management. The Federation has control over the use of the two competitions it organizes: Copa de la Reina and Supercopa

There are other matters like publicity, qualifying consequences that need to be addressed with the women’s league. Specifically, as regards relegation, the draft makes it clear that the loss of category of the last four clubs (12, 13, 14 and 15) is pending in accordance with the LFPP. We will see then why the employers are already aware of this situation and they will expose it in the imminent meeting between the two

The same draft addresses other aspects such as the transfer windows for the 16 professional teams. The first starts next Friday, July 1 and will run until September 7. The winter window will have the same dates as the men’s, running from Monday, January 2 to January 31.

Queen’s Cup and Super Cup

The document also includes the two competitions organized by the RFEF: Copa de la Reina and Supercopa. Up to 48 teams participate in the first one and it will be played in six single-match qualifiers until the final scheduled for May 28. Both the semifinals and the final will be played at a venue designated by the federation.

The next edition of the Super Cup will be played by Barcelona and Sporting de Huelva as Cup finalists, in addition to Real Sociedad and Real Madrid as second and third in the League. It will be played between January 17 and 22, 2022 at a venue determined by the RFEF