FIFA Disciplinary Committee provisionally suspends Luis Rubiales

The Colombian Jorge Ivan Palacio, president of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, has decided this Saturday the provisional suspension of the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, from any activity related to soccer at national and international level. “This suspension, which will be effective as of today, is for an initial period of 90 days, pending the disciplinary proceedings opened against Mr. Luis Rubiales on Thursday, August 24.”

The three-month temporary suspension of Luis Rubiales for his kiss to Jennifer Hermoso and his lewd behavior during the celebrations of the Women’s World Cup won by the Spanish national team means that, during this time, Rubiales will not be able to perform any activity related to soccer. The Spanish soccer president is also suspended from his position as UEFA vice-president. The FIFA body also prevents Rubiales or any member of the Federation from having any contact with Jennifer Hermoso.

The sanction has activated the federative mechanisms and Pedro Rocha, the president of the Extremadura region chosen by Rubiales to replace him, has already been named interim successor for the next three months. “Luis Rubiales has stated that he will defend himself legally in the competent bodies, he has full confidence in the Fifa bodies and reiterates that, in this way, he is given the opportunity to begin his defence so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven,” said a statement released by the federation to announce the replacement.

FIFA, faced with the pressure reported by Jennifer Hermoso on the part of the federation and Rubiales, has deemed it appropriate to take measures to protect the player. “Likewise, the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and in order to preserve, among other factors, the fundamental rights of the national soccer team player Ms. Jennifer Hermoso and the good order of the disciplinary proceedings before this disciplinary body, has issued two additional directives (article 7 FDC) by which he orders Mr. Luis Rubiales to refrain, through himself or third parties, from contacting or attempting to contact the professional player of the Spanish national football team Ms. Jennifer Hermoso or her close environment”.

After opening proceedings against Rubiales, the timing of the FIFA process did not anticipate such a quick decision. However, Friday’s aggressive speech of the now suspended president of Spanish soccer during the Federation’s assembly, in which he attacked feminism and presented himself as a victim, caused astonishment in the president of the disciplinary committee of the world governing body. Rubiales has found in Jorge Ivan Palaciós a tough jurist. As a member of the gender commission of the Colombian judiciary, he traveled around his country promoting the rights of women and the LGTBI community.

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