On Friday afternoon, the Superior Sports Council (CSD) formulated "a reasoned request" to the Sports Administrative Court (TAD) for a possible violation of the Sports Law and the royal decree on sports discipline by from the president of the Real Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales. They consider that the until now most responsible for Spanish football, increasingly on a tightrope, committed a series of "very serious" infractions for kissing Jenni Hermoso without consent at the celebration of the Women's World Cup. A series of offenses that enable a precautionary suspension of their positions.
"It is an analysed, studied complaint, in which we believe there are weighty arguments for a file to be opened against him. The TAD will meet on Monday", announced the president of the CSD, Víctor Francos, at the start of the Cycling Tour of Spain from Barcelona. The CSD considers that, with his actions, Rubiales may have violated articles 76.1.a of the Sports Law and 14.h of Royal Decree 1591/1992, which refer, respectively, to "abuses of authority and to notorious and public acts that attack sports dignity or decorum".
There are seven members of the TAD who will decide whether to open a case against Rubiales or not. Four men and three women. All graduates in Law. They form the only body with review powers of the federative activity and which is also responsible for processing and solving disciplinary files at the request of the president of the CSD or its sports commission. If it decides, as everything indicates, to open a disciplinary file against Rubiales, the CSD will be able to remove him provisionally from his positions until the TAD issues a sentence.
The Government's request, announced, studied and deliberated, took place hours before FIFA, through its disciplinary commission, announced on Saturday "the provisional suspension" of Luis Rubiales "from all activities related to football at scale national and international", for the next 90 days, also prohibiting him from contacting Jenni Hermoso or her entourage.
The CSD was satisfied with FIFA's decision. "It is confirmed that our position coincides with the high authorities of international football. FIFA has reaffirmed and strengthened the path started by the Government of Spain. That is to say that FIFA shares with us that the facts must be analyzed and investigated. Hence the temporary suspension of Rubiales", indicated Francos.
The two paths, that of FIFA and that of the Government, will follow their respective processes. FIFA will study the case during the 90 days of suspension.
And the Government? "FIFA is a private body. For this reason, the Government's road map is not disturbed", recalled Francos. The Government's terms are as follows. If the TAD opens a disciplinary case against Rubiales when it meets tomorrow, the CSD can provisionally dismiss him in a virtually decided verdict that will come out of the summit of its executive committee scheduled for Wednesday. This commission is made up of 14 people, 13 of them with voice and vote and a secretary.
Finally, Francos also announced "the sending of an urgent letter to the RFEF in which it is asked what situation the organization's management is in after the suspension of Rubiales by FIFA". And, looking to the future, he announced that "I will also contact FIFA so that these events do not affect Spain's bid for the 2030 World Cup".
Asked about the constant cross of statements in which the RFEF denies what happened with Jenni Hermoso, Francos sent a final message to Rubiales. "I think that when someone insistently says that everyone is going in the opposite direction, he must think that he is the one who is going in the opposite direction."
