What's behind the signing of former Telefónica executive Chema Alonso by the Football Federation

After his sudden departure from Telefónica, in one of the most talked-about episodes of the recent corporate reshuffle, Chema Alonso has found two new opportunities. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the agency Europa Press have offered him new avenues to relaunch his "stalled" career.

Both institutions are backing the computer engineer and former Chief Digital Officer of the telecom company. They seek to boost their respective digital transformations. All of this is happening at a delicate moment, both for the media ecosystem and for professional refereeing.

Telefónica denies some rumors

Telefónica categorically denies to Elcierredigital.com that Chema Alonso keeps any employment relationship with the company after his dismissal. "He only participates in two advisory boards. He isn't part of any board of directors," they state.

Other sources deny that he receives a fixed compensation of about €30,000 per month, as some media have reported. According to them, Alonso receives per diems. However, the meetings don't have a fixed schedule. Therefore, the income doesn't come close to the published figures.

This nuance is important. His current role at Telefónica is minor. There is no contract or executive functions, the telecom company assures.

"The man in the wool hat," now at RFEF

Chema Alonso has been appointed as advisor for Technological Innovation and Artificial Intelligence of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA). This body reports to RFEF. The decision was made by Fran Soto Balirac, new president of CTA. With this move, Soto seeks to modernize the refereeing system.

The reform comes after a specific commission and the goal is clear: to apply artificial intelligence and new technologies to the management and evaluation of referees. All of this in a context where the refereeing establishment is under heavy scrutiny.

Alonso is an engineer, PhD in Computer Security, and a renowned former hacker. He arrives at this position after years leading Telefónica's digital strategy. There, he founded ElevenPaths, the cybersecurity division. Later, he held positions such as Chief Data Officer and Chief Digital Consumer Officer. His recruitment by CTA aims to leverage his technical profile and also to strengthen the image of a group under suspicion.

However, his appointment hasn't been free of controversy. Alonso has openly shown his affinity for Real Madrid. On social media, he describes himself as "raulista" and "ikerista." Emulating children, despite his experience in the digital field, he has posted images in the club's trophy room. Also at the 2024 Champions League final. This closeness has raised suspicions among fans and rival clubs. Some fear that he could influence the neutrality of the technological system.

Alonso's case isn't unique. Other former Telefónica executives have also been placed in positions of power in sports. Such is the case of Sergio Oslé. He was CEO of Telefónica España. Now he informally advises Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, as this outlet revealed. He does so discreetly. Especially on audiovisual matters after Mediapro's departure.

Everything indicates that a new power map is being formed. It is a technological and sports axis in which figures from Telefónica's old regime participate. They find refuge in media, public institutions, and professional sports. All linked to the duo Javier Tebas and Rafa Louzán, presidents of LaLiga and RFEF.

"Europa Press": unexpected recruitment in the Arrufat era

At the same time, Alonso has been recruited as an advisor by Europa Press. The agency was recently acquired by Miguel Arrufat, owner of the UNIR group. The move marks a new stage. The group is undergoing both editorial and technological transformation.

Sources close to the matter indicate that the recruitment is due to his experience. He has led "big data," artificial intelligence, and large-scale digitization projects. He also knows how to design scalable technological environments. His arrival seeks to place Europa Press at the forefront of automated journalism. AI will be applied to data analysis, content generation, and its distribution. It should be noted that Alonso has been a regular speaker at events organized by UNIR and has a close relationship with Arrufat.

The recruitment has sparked debate in the sector, since Alonso's profile remains controversial. His departure from Telefónica wasn't quiet; it happened after the strategic shift led by Emilio Gayo, the new CEO. Many remember the Kernel case. It was his major data project. But it was dismantled months after the leadership change. It didn't meet expectations.

Abrupt ending at Telefónica

Alonso's departure marked a bitter end. For years, he had been the public face of Telefónica's digital transformation. His wool hat became his trademark, embodying the character of the "good hacker". He is considered a "business strategist" because of this. In fact, he led many projects, although most, despite their grand presentations, didn't succeed.

Everything changed with the departure from Telefónica of his "protector" José María Álvarez-Pallete. With the arrival of the new leadership, his entire ecosystem collapsed. Kernel was frozen. According to El Confidencial, several of his collaborators have been dismissed in recent weeks. Among them, Javier Martínez (CTO) and Paco Montalvo (Chief Data Officer). Areas such as cybersecurity, marketing, and "e-commerce" were also restructured. In just a few months, everything he had built over more than a decade disappeared.

The new president, Marc Murtra, decided to dismiss him. It was concluded that the millions invested didn't yield results. Since then, Alonso is no longer part of the executive circle, he only remains on committees without executive functions.

Reinvention or continuity

With his new positions, Alonso is starting a different phase, far from the shelter of Telefónica. However, he keeps his network of contacts and his controversial personal brand.

At RFEF, he will have to prove that technology can make refereeing fairer. The context isn't easy. Meanwhile, at Europa Press he faces another challenge: to apply automation and artificial intelligence in an increasingly uncertain environment.