“Free grassroots football is viable for cadets”

He has been in office for one year. His predecessor, Antonio Suárez, remained 33. He has less left.

I don’t know if I will resist the first mandate. The work is brutal.

He promised to raise the rugs. What has been found?

President [Antonio Suárez] He left his little legacy. He stayed longer than he should have. After 33 years, you settle. In the end this is a daily struggle, leaving energy here and there for social justice. it burns you At the end of the first term [le restan tres años]I’ll see if I continue. Making a second is very complicated. I arrive at 6:00 a.m. and leave at 8:00 p.m. I stayed with this routine for four months. The first thing I did was remove the official car, I go everywhere in mine. I don’t have a computer.

What are you most proud of? The travel agreement to expedite and save costs for the clubs is his Chilean goal.

The worst thing is that there was a lot of work. Tons of paperwork and paperwork. But the real merit belongs to the employees. What would be done in twelve years, we did in ten months. In relation to the club travel agreement, which is a protocol, we want to extend it as soon as possible so that the teams do not pay a penny and it lasts four more years. The objective, that is definitive. We have 55,000 licenses, we exceed 2,000 files and we have paid more than one million. Special thanks to Ángel Víctor Torres, for his sensitivity from the Canarian Government, and to Manolo López, for his support from the General Directorate of Sports.

What would happen if the travel agreement is not extended?

It is ruin and would cause a massive withdrawal of clubs. It is life for all entities. In relation to the agreement with the Cabildo of 1.6 million, it has already been published in the BOP and forms another capital tool for the clubs. And we continue with our project. We want to create an I+I team competition together with the Adapted Sports Federation. Recognize the effort of the Coaches Committee in expanding 600 new licenses. Regarding refereeing, we have recruited more than 150 young referees, which is a new record. We have an agreement with Banco Santander that saves us a million euros in commissions. Finally, the Foundation with a patron that is Binter Canarias.

Do you see it feasible for grassroots football to be free up to cadets? Or would it only be feasible with the presence of a large sponsor?

Its viable. We will get it. Arbitrations from prebenjamín to alevín will be free, in addition, mutuality is not paid either.

And how does the miracle work?

Allocating the distribution of audiovisual rights. With the travel agreement, that of the Cabildo and that of the referees, football without costs at school age is viable. Previously, barcodes were charged for each error. Removed, now we don’t charge anything, no matter who is wrong. Thus appears a game of more than 20,000 euros that is deleted. In relation to the National Women’s chips, we have reduced more than 50%. It is intended to promote the Feminine and Sala. We are promoting the theme of beach soccer. We offer municipalities to build free fields with the mediation of the CSD as in San Mateo. We take coaching courses with 600 students at 250 euros. In addition, we have received subsidies that were not requested and sponsors that make up about 250,000 euros per year. Some are public and guarantee us more than 1.5 million in ten years in grants. We have cut, in the first semester, more than 217,000 euros in expenses for insurance, telephone, travel, agreements, expendable procedures…

And the payroll?

We have not touched them. Here we help everyone, I use my RFEF allowance to help those who need it. The Interinsual Federation went from having an external lawyer one day a week to having a staff lawyer, Javi Sosa. In addition, we appointed a new secretary, Daniel Pita, due to the early retirement of the previous one in the position [Juan Carlos Naranjo].

Why wasn’t it saved before?

I limit myself to the code of good government. Apply logic, fight unnecessary spending…

He promised before being elected that he would not charge from the FILFP.

And I don’t charge. Madrid gives me a president’s allowance that is used for travel expenses and I give them to my collaborators. I don’t need the Federation money. All the presidents of the territories are invited to the matches of the national teams and national teams. Plane, hotel and expenses included. I haven’t been to any game. I help a lot of people without resources with my assignment in Madrid and more personal cases that I don’t want to publicize. And now we all pay taxes. It is what it is.

You assured that the Suárez Federation smelled rancid. What does it smell like now?

The Federation smells of work, seriousness, efficiency, responsibility, closeness… We have visited more than 100 fields. I go to see finals, I’m in any promotion, playoff, playoff qualification… On a Saturday I make 17 calls. Closeness. This mobile is mine [lo levanta de la mesa como si fuese la Biblia]. I pay it. They offered me one, I said no.

That motive is more famous than that of Miguel Ángel Ramírez -president of Las Palmas-.

Much more famous.

Why did Ramón Medina, another vice president and three executives leave you?

He came on a Wednesday and told me that he did not want to continue. She gave me a very nice letter, thanking me for the work. No clashes. The Federation continues.

And the reason?

I don’t know. I will always have words of praise for Medina, Juan Jesus Robaina, Delia Morales, Jose Juan Gonzalez and Juan Germain.

Do you really think that Gran Canaria will host the 2030 World Cup in the Spain-Portugal-Morocco bid?

I said it from the first moment, being positive does not cost anything. It is true that FIFA prioritizes the use of the train. But like the Canary Islands there are few venues. We have the blind support of the Cabildo, City Hall and Government. The World Cup delegation saw the Gran Canaria facilities and were impressed. They are going to invest more than 1,000 million in clean energy and that is another strong point. We can be the venue, it is not decided before September. I am very optimistic. I see it feasible.

With violence there is no way to fence. Episodes of fights, altercations and aggressions multiply. From the Regional to the juvenile category. A technician was stabbed in Pedro Hidalgo. What’s wrong?

Soccer and violence are not compatible. We must approach a serious and firm project from the directives. We want coaches, referees, fans and everyone around us to join us. There is an agreement with the General Directorate of Sports and the Delegation for Minors. The solution is to educate the base. Sport is a cultural issue and of enormous value to spread healthy values. In relation to sanctions, the Appeal and Competition Committees are independent. They are judges. Nobody expected Pedro Hidalgo, we are not the owners of the facilities. We have put a free federative delegate and 1,850 files have been moved last year. Regarding travel, we have moved 2,000 files. We have released three or more employees to the General Directorate of Sports.

Now that he is a member of the RFEF, he shares a table and mentality with Rubiales. You said that ‘if I win, Luis [Rubiales] He will give me the bear hug. He will call me for the votes of the National. I will only go to Madrid to look for positive things for the Archipelago. I will not go and say yes bwana to everything’.

You have to know people.

The power hypnotizes.

I’m the most revolutionary guy. The one who touches the balls the most from respect and affection. Rubiales is a very prepared president, he has two law degrees. He treated me very well, when I go to Madrid, in meetings, I always contribute something. I always demand what I need. Now I am claiming 80,000 euros for the water. It is that they are not land.

To what do you attribute the pitiful level of the teams from this province in the 2nd RFEF?

He had a significant influence on the five relegations last season. It is not easy to have a structure, in non-profit clubs. We must improve the structures and demand a more equitable distribution of aid from FECAM.

Is La Mutua a beach bar?

It is an independent entity. I was the sole administrator and it became independent from the Federation. It is managed from Madrid, we do not know the operations that exist. With this budget, if you meet [sin operaciones] does not go up We rose 5%, Madrid 10% and La Gallega 15%. The mutuality is the cheapest there is, a boy from Regional pays 120 euros. They are 10 euros per month, paid by the club and 100% covered. Then there are very serious injuries, there is that of a boy who cost more than 60,000 euros. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are ruinous in terms of mutuality, there are hardly any players and you don’t enter. Also, with each knee injury, the parents travel, you take care of the hotel and other costs.

The UD is First. What do you think of Ramírez’s management?

Miguel Ángel has been fundamental, he is a very skilled person, he has a healthy club. The rise of the UD is life for the Island. My three Majorero grandchildren were exultant in a box that I paid for my family [abonó unos 1.500 euros]. I was in the authorities box, my three grandchildren, my two children, my wife, my daughter-in-law, my son-in-law in the private. This way I was able to distribute the tickets I had to the rest of my friends. We must encourage children and especially the base to participate in this First Division football festival. In this course, we have grown in licenses. There are three thousand more than in the province of Santa Cruz [29.000 en Las Palmas y 55.000 en el Archipiélago].

And the budget?

From 3.1 million we went up to 5.5. In less than a year, we have almost doubled the accounting report.

Free football when?

The clubs are waiting for the money from the Cabildo. We have distributed 300,000 euros of audiovisual rights. We can save 400,000 in arbitrations. Grassroots football can be practically free. But I insist, if the travel issue disappears, many clubs close. It is necessary to sign an agreement with the Government of the Canary Islands, that they take charge of the policy and that the Mutualidad admits it.

And the new headquarters?

We’re on that. We have a project in Barranco Seco and another that would be built in an area close to Piletas. It will be finished within two to six years. In this Federation you don’t sleep.