Spain deny threat to World Cup over government interference in national football federation

MADRID, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy said on Friday that the place of the Spanish national team at next summer's World Cup finals in Russia is not in doubt despite FIFA's threat to expel the Spanish over possible interference in the running of the organization.

Rajoy said that Spain would "not only participate in the World Cup, but also win it."

The El Pais newspaper revealed a letter to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) from FIFA, the governing body of World football.

The problem centers around the proposal by the Spanish government's Higher Sports Council (CSD) to hold new elections for the RFEF presidency in the wake of the arrest of former RFEF president, Angel Maria Villar in July 2017 as part of an investigation into possible corruption offences.

Under FIFA rules national football federations have to be run independently of government interference and any attempt by the CSD would break those rules, leaving the door open to a possible sanction.

Meanwhile the RFEF have denied there is a threat to expel Spain from the tournament they won in 2010.

"Nobody is going to kick Spain out of the World Cup, it is something impossible and we have not spoken about it to FIFA," said acting RFEF president, Juan Larrea in the Spanish press. Enditem