◤FIFA World Cup in Qatar◢ Royal Spanish Football Federation Sporting Director José Francisco Molina announces shock resignation, role to be taken over by Albert Luque..

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) suddenly announced on its official website on Friday morning Asian time that after the country's national team's shock exit at the hands of Morocco at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Federation's Sporting Director José Francisco Molina has decided not to renew his contract and leave his role immediately, and former Deportivo La Coruña and Spanin international center forward Albert Luque will take over his position.

According to the official statement of the RFEF, José Francisco Molina will officially resign after his contract expires on January 1, 2023, and then Luque will immediately take over the job of the former.

In addition, the Federation also stated that Albert Luque will also serve as the sporting director of the Spanish senior national team, and Francis Hernández, the Sporting Director of the youth national team, will also serve as Luque's assistant for his position within the RFEF.

After the news of Molina's resignation was announced, the RFEF did not forget to thank him for his contribution to the development of Spanish football over the years in the last paragraph of the statement, and wish him a bright future in his future career development.

The 52-year-old Molina is formerly a Spain international goalkeeper and a legend of Atlético Madrid during his playing career. During the 1995/96 season, he led the club to a La Liga and Copa del Rey double. After retiring, Molina coached Villarreal's youth and reserve teams at all levels from 2009 to 2011, and then briefly took over as their first team head coach.

After being sacked in March 2012, Molina came to Asia, Hong Kong to be precise, to serve as the head coach of the Hong Kong Premier League giants Kitchee in the 2014/15 season, and led the club to a Hong Kong Premier League League, the Hong Kong FA Cup and the League Cup treble.

Molina returned to his home country in July 2018 as the Sporting Director of the RFEF. During this period, he experienced the glory of overseeing La Roja reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League twice and the semi-finals of the EUROs 2020.

The 44-year-old Luque is a loyal Barcelona fan who was born in Catalonia when he was a child. He even played for the Blaugrana's famous La Masia youth academy. In his early career, in addition to playing as a center forward, he was also often being deployted as a left winger. After leaving Barcelona, he made a big breakthrough at Deportivo La Coruña and even became a member of the Spain national team.

However, Luque's career has never returned to his heights since he moved to the Premier League to join Newcastle United in August 2005. Until his retirement in 2011, he never reached double digits in the clubs he had played for ever again.

After retiring, Luqee has served as a guest pundit on various local TV programs in Spain for many times. The position of Sporting Director of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) which he took over this time is actually his first management position in his career.