OFFICIAL: Primera Iberdrola Will Return In October

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has officially confirmed that Primera Iberdrola football will return in October.

La temporada 2020-21 en las competiciones federadas de ámbito estatal comenzarán el próximo mes de octubre, tal y como ha decidido de forma unánime la Comisión de Presidentes de federaciones de ámbito autonómico y ha ratificado posteriormente la Comisión Gestora de la RFEF.

La Segunda División B comenzará el próximo 18 de octubre con 102 equipos distribuidos en cinco grupos.

Esta fecha será ratificada el próximo 14 de septiembre siempre y cuando se haya aprobado el correspondiente protocolo por las autoridades gubernamentales.

En Tercera División, en la que jugarán 397 equipos, la competición arrancará también el 18 de octubre. En este caso, el protocolo a aplicar será el de la comunidad autónoma correspondiente.

La RFEF, a su vez, comunicará la próxima semana tanto a las federaciones territoriales como a los clubes las ayudas del programa Impulso 23 para la nueva temporada.

También se ha señalado las fechas de inicio para la Primera Iberdrola, que será el 18 octubre salvo que por acuerdo unánime de los clubes se comience no antes del 4 de octubre, también previa ratificación del protocolo.

Igualmente, la Primera División Masculina de Fútbol Sala arrancará el 18 de octubre salvo que haya acuerdo unánime con los clubes para empezar no antes del 4 de octubre, previa ratificación.

Tanto en fútbol femenino como en fútbol sala el resto de las categorías comenzarán a partir del 18 de octubre. Por su parte, las categorías juveniles comenzarán la temporada a finales de octubre, siempre que el mencionado protocolo se encuentre vigente.

Translation:

This has been the unanimous decision of the Commission of Autonomous Presidents, subsequently ratified by the Management Commission of the RFEF.

The 2020-21 season in the federated competitions at the state level will begin next October, as has been unanimously decided by the Commission of Presidents of regional federations and has subsequently been ratified by the Management Commission of the RFEF.

Second Division B will begin on October 18 with 102 teams divided into five groups.

This date will be ratified on September 14 as long as the corresponding protocol has been approved by government authorities.

In the Third Division, in which 397 teams will play, the competition will also start on October 18. In this case, the protocol to be applied will be that of the corresponding autonomous community.

The RFEF, in turn, will provide communication next week to the territorial federations and the clubs about the aid coming from the Impulso 23 program for the new season.

The start dates for the Primera Iberdrola have also been set for October 18, unless it begins no earlier than October 4 based on the unanimous agreement of the clubs, following ratification of the protocol.

Likewise, the Men’s Futsal First Division will start on October 18, unless there is unanimous agreement with the clubs to start no earlier than October 4, following ratification.

In both women’s soccer and futsal, the rest of the categories will start from October 18. For their part, the youth categories will start the season at the end of October, provided that the aforementioned protocol is in force.

This announcement comes off the back of a coordinated call to return to play by Primera Iberdrola players. Given the prior uncertainty, lack of communication, and rumors that the league may only start up as late as April, one has to imagine that the Spanish Football Players’ Association was the catalyst for the confirmed restart. On the one hand, it’s promising to see the power that the players were able to wield by coming together as a unified voice. On the other hand, it’s a little depressing that they needed to go to all this effort to get the RFEF to do their job and ensure that women’s football would resume.