Canary Islands Government Suspends Football Elections

The Canary Islands Government has temporarily stopped the elections for the Canarian Football Federation and its regional branches in Tenerife and Las Palmas. This decision comes after an appeal from José Juan Arencibia Alemán, who leads the Las Palmas Football Federation (FIFLP).

The elections were originally called on January 12, 2026, by Alejandro Morales Mansito, president of the Canarian Football Federation. They were meant to choose new General Assembly members and presidents for the Tenerife and Las Palmas inter-island federations, as well as the Canarian Football Federation's Assembly.

The government explained that continuing with the elections could cause harm that would be hard or impossible to fix, making the appeal meaningless. So, they've paused the election process until the General Directorate makes a final decision on the appeal. This decision will be shared with the affected federations and their election boards.

According to the sports law website Iusport, the Las Palmas Federation (FIFLP) had argued that the election call had "major flaws" and "violated its rights." They claimed that Morales Mansito went beyond his authority by calling elections for the FIFLP, a power that belongs only to its own president, Arencibia.

Beyond these official complaints, there's a known disagreement between Alejandro Morales Mansito and José Juan Arencibia. Their falling out began about a year ago when Morales Mansito said he was pressured to resign. He pointed fingers at Rayco Cabello, his general secretary.

Soon after, Cabello filed a lawsuit against Mansito, accusing him of misusing funds and disloyal management. Mansito has denied these claims in court, and the case is still ongoing.