Players and clubs rebel against the category created by Luis Rubiales to replace the old Second B. “On the trips alone we have spent 80,000 euros, 20,000 more than last year,” he says of Rio Mazadahonda.

First experience in “a beach bar” for players, an “impractical” category for clubs and a “reform and reform process” for the Spanish Football Federation. The balance of the premiere season of the first RFEF, promoted semi-professional category louis rubiales To replace the old sec B, has left no one happy. Criticisms continued to slip through the 10 months of the competition and its effects on the courts, but they exploded after the promotion playoffs.

With the change of format the federation aimed to make it the third tier in Spanish football, the first professional outside LaLiga’s control, with only 40 teams, more attractive and with the potential to generate higher incomes. On paper, a fascinating project. After this first season the reality described by the protagonist is far away. Neither visible nor feasible.

The central defender of the Nestique de Tarragona raises its voice with force alex quintanilla, «What the Federation has done this season has been a beach bar. They have been incompetent and unprepared for competitionWhich is a good product to sell and able to make it professional. The youtubers match at La Romareda had more public than the playoff semi-finals», says the centre-back, who also offered on the social network Gerard PiquéTake the reins, owner of Andorra and organizer of the Super Cup.

an unviable range

Players have raised their hands, but clubs have already done so by forming the Association of Third National Category Soccer Clubs last March. The founders were San Sebastian de los Reyes, Linares, Rayo Mazadahonda, Ducks and Linens, who have just joined the Real Union de Irun. The RFEF’s response to the movement has ended with a complaint against Rubiales and his general secretary, Andreu Camp, for perceived delusions of threats, coercion and prejudice. The clubs assured that they should «Expulsion from competition and imposing economic sanctions», if he did not dissolve the association as ordered by the judge. Basically they are intent on not allowing sponsorship through the federation.

Revenue generation, including the sale of television rights, and the organization of the playoffs in one venue, have been the two major problems of the first RFEF premiere. And both have had an impact, not just positive, on the teams’ accounts.

“We have experienced that the category is not viable. It was created with the idea that great teams would compete with level squads, and this has prompted us clubs to increase budgets, And that he has abandoned his idea of ​​implementing a minimum wage as impossible. There is a lot to improve first », he explains to EL Mundo, lvaro Gomez, general director of Rayo Mazadahonda. ,Only on tours we have spent 80,000 euros, 20,000 more than last season, And in arbitration, the amount has also been very high,” he says. At this point, Alex Quintanilla also impressed the referee’s level.

“Everything was done very quickly”

Where will the revenue come from? Of the landlines provided by RFEF (44.7 million for RFEF I, II and III) and TV rights. But the account failed. «It was not possible to sell them for the 15 million that the Federation wanted. Everything was done very quickly a few days before the competition started and it barely reached six million», explains Gomez.

The sale was not profitable nor did it give visibility. The owner, Fuchs Sports, gave them Footers, a streaming platform, and in the middle of the season they started a war that worried the clubs, fearing the income the RFEF guaranteed, and dissatisfied with the low quality of broadcasts.

The last disagreement was the promotion playoff in Galicia, with stadiums practically empty at the same venue and beyond Deportivo-Albacete, where Riazor gave an environmental advantage to the people of A Corua, which he did not take advantage of. ,It was a havoc. They deprive us of the box office, which gives us round trip, gives us good profits», explains the Director General of Rayo. At the moment, this is the only complaint the federation has taken note of, since yesterday it was decided that the playoffs would be a two-legged game and next year. The rest, like the school, need to be improved. excess.