Last Thursday, a job posting by Quesos Hidalgo Manzanares on the Castilla La Mancha Employment Portal went viral on social media. The Manchego futsal team was seeking a professional player for the left-wing position, requiring candidates to have good physical fitness, First Division experience, and the ability to pass a tactical-technical test. The offer included a one-year temporary contract. Extendable, with immediate full-time availability, a variable schedule from Monday to Sunday, and a gross salary of €1,500 per month, including prorated extra pay. So far, 19 applicants have registered, but only one resume has been admitted.
In futsal, it’s not uncommon for clubs to post job offers on platforms like LinkedIn or Soccerjobs. However, the coach of Quesos Hidalgo Manzanares highlighted the surreal nature of registering a professional athlete in “emptied Spain,” referring to the bureaucratic challenges in rural areas. He expressed concern over repeating the situation faced by Deivao, a player whose case exposed the complexities of Spain’s bureaucracy. The coach emphasized the need for transparency and efficiency in handling such matters.
The team currently has three non-EU players, all Brazilian, signed under RD 1006/1985, which governs the special employment relationship of professional athletes. These players include Deivao, Pedro Augusto Feitosa, and the youngest, left-winger Gonçalves Castro. Each faces different legal challenges, and the club has been working with specialized lawyers to resolve what has become a legal ordeal.
burocracy
Deivao’s case is particularly complicated. Despite having played for Manzanares for two seasons and holding a contract until 2026, the 38-year-old Brazilian has yet to debut this season due to bureaucratic delays. He expressed frustration over training all week only to be left out of matchday squads, a situation that has taken a toll on his morale. His coach, Juanlu Alonso, criticized Spain’s uneven bureaucratic processes. Noting that while some cities resolve documentation in 50 days, Ciudad Real takes up to 150 days. Alonso stressed that Deivao has done nothing wrong and is being deprived of his career due to administrative inefficiencies.
The issue stems from a labor inspection last year that resulted in a sanction against the club. Although the sanction was overturned on appeal, it led to the deletion of Deivao’s work history in Spain. Showing only 35 days of Social Security contributions despite two years of play. The club is now seeking a new work permit for Deivao, a process that could extend until May, potentially causing him to miss the entire season.
In addition to Deivao’s case, the club recently received an unfavorable resolution regarding the residence and work authorization for Gonçalves Castro. The player had been competing under a provisional sports license issued by the Spanish Federation, but his application was denied because his case did not meet the criteria for exemption from the national employment situation, as outlined in the SEPE’s catalog of hard-to-fill occupations. This catalog, however, has not been updated for the third and fourth quarters of 2024 or the first quarter of 2025, complicating matters further.
solution
To resolve Gonçalves Castro’s situation, the club has published a job offer on the Castilla La Mancha Employment Portal as a preliminary step to demonstrate the difficulty of filling the position. The club’s president, Manuel del Salto, is also seeking a certificate of insufficient applicants from the SEPE to expedite the process.
The challenges faced by Quesos Hidalgo Manzanares are not unique. Other clubs have reported similar issues, with the process of obtaining work and residence permits varying significantly across regions. While the CSD visa offers some advantages by allowing clubs to bypass the usual three-month wait, the overall process remains cumbersome and inconsistent. As one First Division manager noted, hiring a professional athlete can be more complex than hiring a gardener or hairdresser, highlighting the need for streamlined procedures.
