Dissolution of LNFS Marks End of an Era for Spanish Futsal

The Liga Nacional de Fútbol Sala (LNFS) has initiated its dissolution process after 36 years of operation, a decision unanimously approved by its member clubs due to the league’s inability to achieve professional status and effectively operate. The process began formally on September 4, 2025, signaling a profound shift in the landscape of Spanish futsal.

Javier Lozano, the league’s last president who led it for 16 years, attributes the demise of the LNFS mainly to the influence of Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Lozano claims that since Rubiales’ arrival at the RFEF in 2017, the LNFS was increasingly stripped of competencies and resources needed for its growth. He criticized the RFEF’s overwhelming focus on traditional football to the detriment of futsal, which led to diminished visibility and support for the sport at a national level.

Lozano lamented that the LNFS, once a self-sufficient and influential organizer promoting the sport, could not professionalize unlike other sports such as handball and women’s football, which benefitted from support by the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD). He also highlighted that the LNFS acted as a business unit, in contrast to the administrative role of the RFEF, providing a key counterbalance. Without professionalization and continued support, Lozano warned that futsal was doomed to fade away.

Following the dissolution vote, the LNFS plans to settle all outstanding obligations and contracts as it transitions its functions to the RFEF. This move marks a significant setback for Spanish futsal, which had been approaching professional status but will now return to the shadow of football, losing its distinct governance and autonomy.

This pivotal development raises concerns about the future growth and visibility of futsal in Spain after more than three decades of LNFS stewardship, as the sport faces uncertain prospects under RFEF administration.