RFEF charter flight from the Middle East carrying Spanish football professionals lands in Spain

The charter flight organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) from the Middle East, bringing 150 Spanish football professionals back to Spain, landed at 21:50 on Wednesday 11 March at Terminal 1 of Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, where they were received by RFEF president Rafael Louzán.

Their arrival in Madrid marked the culmination of an intense operation that began on 28 February, when the RFEF activated a crisis task force to find solutions and assist Spanish football professionals working and living in several Middle Eastern countries affected by the ongoing conflict.

Alongside Louzán, several RFEF executives were present at the airport to welcome them, including General Secretary Álvaro de Miguel, Director General Manuel Lalinde, Iván Cancela, president of the Coaches’ Committee, and David Gutiérrez, director of the National School of Coaches.

“We are happy, relieved and very satisfied with the work carried out since we decided to launch this operation,” said Louzán. “We’re talking about people — and this is about people. Life is the most important thing, and we are very pleased that they are now here. I also want to thank the different embassies for their cooperation, which helped make it possible to reach Riyadh, then fly to Egypt and finally to Spain. These are the kinds of actions an organisation like the RFEF should take when people trained within our system find themselves in a situation like the one they have experienced.”

Coordinated effort to bring them home

Several RFEF departments were involved in the operation, working in coordination with a single goal: helping Spanish nationals return home safely.

Many of the individuals affected had travelled abroad to work in football, exporting their talent to different countries. However, the escalation of the conflict left them stranded when airspace closures prevented commercial travel.

The RFEF first prioritised the evacuation of coaches and players based in Iran and Israel, maintaining constant contact with them until they were able to return to Spain. The federation also coordinated efforts with Spanish embassies and local football federations in the region.

During a call on 4 March with Spanish football professionals working in Qatar, many expressed urgency about leaving the country due to the evolving situation. At that point, the RFEF began searching for aircraft capable of transporting them, as well as those residing in Kuwait, where airspace restrictions were also in place.

Lists of passengers were compiled and preparations began for a potential evacuation. An initial plan to charter a 350-seat flight departing from Riyadh on 6 March fell through at the last minute.

Final evacuation flight

Later that same evening, the RFEF succeeded in chartering two flights scheduled for 10 March from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) to Madrid, and those affected were given instructions on how to join the operation.

In parallel, the Spanish Embassy in Qatar organised a separate flight on the morning of 8 March for non-resident Spaniards and some residents. However, many professionals remained stranded.

On 10 March, the RFEF gathered those registered for the evacuation at Riyadh Airport, but the flight was postponed after the airspace was temporarily closed for security reasons. The federation quickly arranged accommodation and local transport so the group could stay safely in Riyadh.

Finally, on Wednesday at 12:50, the flight departed for Madrid, making a refuelling stop in Hurghada, Egypt, before continuing to Spain.

When the passengers finally stepped onto Spanish soil, emotions ran high — a moment witnessed first-hand by RFEF president Rafael Louzán and the federation officials who had helped coordinate the operation.