The former president of the Spanish Football Association, Luis Rubiales, has been banned for three years by Fifa for his abusive behavior at the World Cup award ceremony. This applies to all football activities at national and international level, the world association said in a statement on Monday.
The Fifa Disciplinary Commission determined the sentence after Rubiales was found guilty of his conduct violating the provisions of Article 13 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code. The 46-year-old Spaniard kissed Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth in Sydney on August 20th after the Spanish women’s soccer team’s World Cup triumph. The player then emphasized that this had happened against her will.
Rubiales had claimed that the kiss was consensual. He had initially ruled out resigning from his post, but then reluctantly left it. An investigation is still ongoing against Rubiales in Spain. He was initially suspended for 90 days by FIFA.
The world association said the decision on the sentence was delivered to Rubiales on Monday. He has ten days to “apply for justification, which, if the application is approved, will then be published on legal.fifa.com.” The decision could be appealed to the Fifa appeals committee. “In this context, FIFA reaffirms its full commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and adhering to basic rules of decency,” the statement continued.
With his behavior, Rubiales caused discussions for months. The team’s sporting triumph faded into the background. Hermoso had recently made her comeback in the selection, whose world champion coach had also had to leave. She came on as a substitute in the Nations League game in Italy on Friday evening in Salerno and scored the goal in the 89th minute for a 1-0 win.
