FIFA Disciplinary Committee Suspends RFEF President Luis Rubiales

Jorge Ivan Palacio, chair of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, announce today that the Disciplinary Committee as executed Article 51 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and has “provisionally” suspended Luis Rubiales, President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) from all football-related activities, both on the international and national levels.

The suspension for now will be for 90 days, while disciplinary proceedings continue from accusations against him kissing Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso without her consent during the Women’s World Cup final awards ceremony in Sydney, Australia.

Palacio has issued two additional directives by which he ordered the president to refrain through himself or third parties from contacting or attempting to contact the player. Likewise the RFEF and its officials have been informed not to make any further contact with Hermoso until otherwise informed. 

Rubiales has refused to quit despite calls that he do so immediately.

He continues to receive both support and condemnation. His Vice President Rafael del Amo, has submitted his resignation who will no longer work with Rubiales. “I owe a lot to him, but what happened in the final is unacceptable,” said del Amo in a prepared statement.

The RFEF called an assembly this past Friday. When Rubiales took the podium, he apologised for grabbing his crotch after the game in his suite while standing next to the Queen of Spain and her daughter. Then vowed to “fight until the end” and said the kiss was “mutual, euphoric and consensual.”

He did receive to applause from the predominantly male audience including from controversy women’s coach, Jorge Vilda, and men’s national team coach Luis de la Fuente.

Players abroad including the United States have banded together to show solidarity with Hermoso. 

USWNT co-captain Alex Morgan stated, “I am disgusted by the public actions of Luis Rubiales. I stand with Jenny Hermoso and the Spanish players.” Morgan added, “Winning a World Cup should be one of the best moments in these players life, but instead it’s overshadowed by assault, misogyny and failure of the Spanish Federation.”

Megan Rapinoe said that the public event was an example of the “deep level of misogyny and sexism.” She referred to the kiss as a form of “physical assault.”

The outspoken activist Rapinoe continued: 

“It made me think about how much we are required to endure. I think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: Some of the players who stood up way back last year in protest against the ongoing involvement of head coach Jorge Vilda still aren’t on the team.” 

Nearly 100 players within the rank and file of the RFEF want to see him terminated. They also have created a consortium and will not respond to any near-term call-ups to camps and international play.

Concurrent, Hermoso and her union, Futpro, have initiate the retaliatory legal claims and actions against Rubiales and the RFEF.

Photo Credit: John Babiak.

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