Chapado Offers Self-Criticism After Birmingham European Championship: “We Didn’t Even Reach Five”

August 22, 2026

The president of the RFEA, Raúl Chapado, issued a critical assessment of Spain’s performance at the European Championships in Birmingham, where the national team finished with eight medals and 29 finalist spots, figures that resemble those from Rome 2024. “I am neither happy nor satisfied. The national team has not lived up to the expectations we had,” he acknowledged.

Chapado stressed that the balance cannot be considered satisfactory despite repeating the figures from two years earlier: “There have been far too many performances where we would have expected more. Medal and finalist counts exactly the same as in Rome, and that for us is not enough.”

The federation president also took his share of responsibility and called for a review of what happened: “We have to analyze what we could have done wrong together, and I’m the first to admit it. The assessment is not good. We didn’t even reach five.” Chapado believes it is necessary to study the results and to make decisions to improve the performance of the Spanish team in the upcoming major championships.

Dylan Holloway

Dylan Holloway

I’ve always been fascinated by the stories hidden behind a stopwatch, a finish line or a record-breaking performance. At Athletics News, I cover athletes, competitions and the moments shaping track and field, with a particular interest in the people and journeys behind the results.