David Aganzo: “Women can’t wait to be professional”

David Aganzo (Leganés, 40 years old) was re-elected as president of the AFE last April and a month ago he was appointed president of FIFPro.

– What does it mean for a Spaniard to be in charge of FIFPro?

—A pride and a responsibility, but I am grateful for the trust of the presidents of the different countries. And the trust of the World Board to elect me to be its president. Now there is a lot of work ahead and a lot of desire too.

—This confidence comes after the work developed in AFE?

“Of course, a part for sure.”

—What is the route to follow during your tenure?

“The same thing we’re trying to do in Spain.” Have enough independence so that footballers can decide. Have direct dialogue with all institutions such as FIFA, UEFA or the EU. Have a contact with the different Confederations and countries to see what needs each one has. The importance of unions at the national and international level and putting footballers and footballers at the level that corresponds to them on a global scale.

—One of the immediate challenges is a tighter schedule and FIFA’s proposal to hold a World Cup every two years.

—The first thing that must be done is to count on the footballers to face this type of situation, unilateral decisions are not good for anyone. You have to sit down with Infantino to make a contact and to understand that footballers are the protagonists. The players are the ones who travel, get injured, take a penalty … Ultimately, they are the important part of this and have to take part in these decisions. Business is important, but everyone wants to see the best footballers in the world compete, but they have to understand that those footballers have to rest to give their good version, which really makes them fall in love.

—In your first meeting with Infantino, you have many issues to address …

—There are many aspects to be dealt with worldwide. It is true that there are countries like Spain and England where we are in better conditions, but FIFPro’s responsibility is to have the best conditions worldwide, not only nationally.

—Women’s football has been one of the great battles of AFE. From FIFPro this fight will also gain more weight.

-Of course.

– At the moment, in the case of Spanish women’s football, how is the situation?

—Now, at the national level, we have union elections, everything that was achieved a year and a half ago with the agreement is at stake, a strike in between, thanks to the unity of all the comrades, but now they are trying to divide them. At AFE we fight for them every day and the fear we have is that the day these comrades stop, they will lose what we have achieved so far. It would be a tough defeat.

– Among the things that were achieved was the commitment to professionalize the women’s league.

– We have tried to fight with the CSD so that this professional league could go forward. In June the professional league was proposed and made, but no such steps have been taken to make it real. We are fighting to make it a reality as soon as possible.

—That agreement established a deadline for the professional women’s league to be a fact this December, but it has been postponed. Even when?

—It cannot be postponed any longer, the professionalization of the league has to continue. The female cannot wait any longer to be professional. The agreement is directly related to this aspect. Now the agreement has a partiality with LaLiga, but there are many aspects that must be dealt with and articles that must be improved.

“What is AFE’s plan?”

—We have a strategic plan, we denounce the agreement. The conditions were good and with the professionalization they were going to be different. As the clubs do not agree to draw up the statutes, the CSD is not taking action on the matter and everything is being delayed and that hurts the footballers. They are the ones who travel, the ones who play, the ones who get injured, the games are not televised, and this is what the union complains about. With different opinions and that is the alarm that I put on the table, so that they do not separate them.

—If it is not solved soon, do you consider carrying out measures as was done when the agreement?

—Of course, we have tried to warn the companions, they are the ones who will have problems. Now the key action is solidarity among all.