Luis Rubiales has also been disqualified by the TAD (Administrative Court of Sports). The former president of the Spanish Federation has received the same punishment that FIFA applied to him – a process in which he has already appealed – and is disqualified for the next three years, as Iusport has advanced.
These are two serious sanctions, punishable by a year and a half each. The first, for abuse of authority in the non-consensual kiss of Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony at the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The second sanction is for touching her genitals in the box in the same final in Sydney, in which Spain was proclaimed world champion.
On September 1, the TAD partially upheld the complaint presented by the Higher Sports Council (CSD) and agreed to open a disciplinary file against Rubiales, who resigned as president of the Spanish Federation on September 10. After studying the case, the file was closed this Friday with the disqualification of the former leader.
The CSD forwarded "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 the second, which refer, respectively, to abuses of authority and notorious and public acts that violate sporting dignity or decorum. Unlike the Government, the court did not see abuse of authority and initiated the file for two serious, not very serious, offenses.
This sanction joins that of FIFA, which on October 30 announced the disqualification of Rubiales, banning him from any activity related to football for the next three years. The governing body of world football was the first to react to the kiss on Jenni Hermoso, suspending the Spanish leader for 90 years while the Disciplinary Commission made a firm 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 former president, former coach Jorge Vilda and other senior officials of the Federation are accused. Yesterday, the president of the National Women's Soccer Committee, Rafael del Amo, confirmed before the judge that Rubiales asked Vilda to speak with the soccer player's brother. International Laia Codina, as a witness, could not appear due to technical problems. She will do it in the coming days in person. Jenni Hermoso herself is also expected to go to court next week.
