The president of the Spanish federation challenges Lekjaa: we will not lose the battle | Goal.com
Rafael Louzan, president of the Spanish Football Federation, has hit back at Fouzi Lekjaa, his Moroccan counterpart, over claims that Casablanca would host the 2030 World Cup final.
Spain, Morocco and Portugal will jointly stage the 2030 tournament. FIFA, though, is yet to decide which stadium will host the showpiece final.
Mundo Deportivo carried Louzan's comments to the programme El Partidazo de COPE, where he framed Lekjaa's remarks within the electoral process that has just begun in Morocco.
Communication with his Moroccan counterpart had been cut off for some time, Louzan admitted, and he dismissed Thursday's comments as merely another statement.
He added: "Spain is the one behind the initiative, and there should be no doubt that Spain must be the country organising the final. The final word belongs to FIFA."
Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, will indeed visit Spain, Morocco and Portugal over the coming months alongside a delegation from the world football body.
Louzan insisted the decision "is not in my hands" and drove home the same point. Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Federation, should have settled the matter when he brought Morocco into the bid.
"This matter should have been settled at the time," Louzan said. "But it was not settled, and yet I have complete confidence in Spain."
His country cannot walk away from the World Cup even without the final, he added, stressing: "There are signed agreements, and we must be patient, and logic must lead us to the conclusion that Spain must be the country organising the final."
On the host venues, Louzan pointed out that Spain has 9 stadiums, with hopes of adding Valencia and Vigo to make it 11. Every one of them is only provisionally nominated for now, because nothing has been signed. Morocco has 6 stadiums, Portugal 3.
The stadium that hosted the 2026 World Cup final, Louzan recalled, was only confirmed a year before the match.
Louzan signed off with a defiant message on the Spanish bid: "Spain cannot be defeated."
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