The TAD (Sports Administrative Court) yesterday confirmed the disqualification for three years of the former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales. A sanction that follows in the footsteps of FIFA, which had also banned him from participating in any sporting activity for the next three years.
The TAD charges him with two serious sanctions, punishable by a year and a half each, according to Iusport. The first, for abuse of authority in the non-consensual kiss to Jenni Hermoso during the medal presentation at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand; the second sanction is for touching the genitals in the Sydney stadium box during the final in which Spain was proclaimed world champion.
On September 1, the TAD partially upheld the complaint presented by the Superior Sports Council (CSD) and agreed to open a disciplinary file against Rubiales, who resigned as president of the Spanish Federation on September 10. The CSD transferred “a reasoned request” to the TAD for a possible violation of the Sports Law and the Royal Decree on Sports Discipline by Luis Rubiales, specifically of articles 76.1.a of the first and 14.h of second, which refer, respectively, to abuses of authority and to notorious and public acts that attack sports dignity or decorum. Unlike the Government, the court did not see an abuse of authority and opened the case for two serious, but not very serious, offences. After studying the case, the file was closed yesterday with the disqualification of the former leader.
This sanction joins that of FIFA, which on October 30 announced the disqualification of Rubiales, which prevented him from participating in any activity related to football for the next three years. The governing body of world football was the first to react to the kiss to Jenni Hermoso and suspended the Spanish leader for 90 days while the Disciplinary Commission made a final decision.
In addition to the disqualifications from FIFA and the TAD, Luis Rubiales faces in court a crime of sexual assault and another of coercion. Judge Francisco de Jorge investigates whether there was pressure on Jenni Hermoso and her entourage to convince the player to go out publicly with Rubiales to downplay the importance of the kiss. In addition to the ex-president, the ex-selector Jorge Vilda and other high-ranking officials of the Federation are accused. Yesterday, the president of the National Women’s Football Committee, Rafael del Amo, confirmed in front of the judge that Rubiales had asked Vilda to speak to the footballer’s brother. The international Laia Codina, as a witness, could not appear due to technical problems. In any case, he will do it in person in the coming days. Jenni Hermoso herself is also expected to go to court next week.
