Román Bellver: "The RFEF cannot unilaterally decide on clubs' qualification for European competitions”

Román Bellver, Communications Strategy Director for Valencia CF, spoke to VCF Media Radio on Friday to react to the RFEF's stance on the choosing of clubs to participate in European competition next season.

Reacting to the Spanish federation's intended plans, Bellver said that "The criteria for deciding which teams play in Europe is decided by UEFA itself."

INTERVIEW WITH VCF MEDIA RADIO

It is difficult to understand what the Spanish Football Federation is proposing about the Copa del Rey finalists when the regulation says otherwise...

Yes. It is difficult to understand, because the Spanish Football Federation organizes both the Copa del Rey and the Super Cup, but the criteria for deciding which teams play European competitions is determined by the UEFA itself. The winner of the Copa del Rey gets a spot to play Europa League, but if that team has already qualified to play Champions League, as was our case last season, it is the seventh team in the table who takes the spot and plays Europa League. In any case, we want to think that the Copa del Rey final will be played between now and summer, above all it would reflect an improvement in the health situation we are in.

Do you think that the RFEF rushed into things by proposing a list of teams who would participate in European competitions, when perhaps the season could be completed?

"The RFEF are getting ahead of themselves, because right now every LaLiga team are working on our protocols in the event of the competition for this year resuming. As far as we are aware, UEFA have not requested the list of participating teams so far in advance. In any case, the RFEF cannot unilaterally validate the standings. That role corresponds to the LFP, along with the RFEF, in a mixed commission -even more so in an exceptional situation that isn't set out in any regulations."

Do you understand the measures that the RFEF intend to take?

"For now, we are focused on the only measure that is fair, which is earning our spot in the league on the pitch. We undoubtedly have a great squad with which to do it. In the event that the competition cannot be restarted, no measure would be 100% fair in sporting terms. In any case, it would be a question of finding the 'least unfair' method."

What would be the 'least unfair' method?

"When you apply criteria, it has to be the same in all aspects. Applying the RFEF's criteria of taking the Matchday 27 standings as final, Valencia CF would miss out on the Champions League spots, when we are close to our target in a similar situation to last year. FC Barcelona would become champions with just a two-point advantage over Real Madrid. Mallorca would go down to the Segunda División having been just a point from safety. If it is decided that there is no champion, no relegation and no promotion, how can we decide if a team finish fourth or fifth?"

"An even more unfair possibility would be basing positions off the standings at the end of the first half of the season. It's similar to giving a 1-0 scoreline at halftime as the final result. It would also mean cancelling some of the results from the second half of the season. There s also a third possibility: The presdent of Olympique Lyonnais, Jean-Michel Aulas, proposed restarting the season from Matchday 1. Sporting-wise, that could me the 'least unfair' measure, although it penalises -in sporting terms and economically- teams in the Segunda División who were in a position to be promoted. In any case, this type of decision -in the event that we cannot resume LaLiga- would have to be agreed upon between everybody, studying the pros and cons."

That is not forgetting that the new format for the Supercopa also hindered Valencia CF

"As we expressed on several occasions, neither the format nor the economic conditions for the Supercopa seemed fair to us. That's why we will fight to the end to defend our rights. The fact that two teams who had not won either LaLiga or the Copa del Rey could play the final of the Supercopa reflected something very difficult to understand."