In the Spanish kiss scandal, the highest sports court Tad has blocked a suspension of the president of the football association RFEF, Luis Rubiales. The judges had decided to open proceedings against the sports official only because of “serious” misconduct, the state TV broadcaster RTVE and other Spanish media reported on Friday evening.
A suspension by the sports authority CSD would only have been possible if the court had allowed the proceedings because of “very serious” misconduct. Should the Tad find Rubiales guilty, he could be banned for as little as two years for only “serious” misconduct.
However, Rubiales cannot initially exercise his office, because the world football association Fifa had already opened disciplinary proceedings against him last Saturday and suspended the 46-year-old for an initial period of 90 days. The RFEF is currently headed by Interim President Pedro Rocha. The association is also demanding Rubiales’ resignation.
Rubiales had kissed the player Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth without being asked at the award ceremony of the Spanish soccer world champions in Australia. The official then came under increasing pressure, and many in Spain had called for his resignation. However, in an angry speech to an extraordinary general assembly of the RFEF last Friday, Rubiales had denied it. The kiss was by mutual consent, he affirmed. However, Hermoso has denied this several times.
